Legend of the Lone Wanderer
by SwiggitieSwootie
Summary: Elias Hawke is sick of the tedious life he leads in Vault 101 and struck with wanderlust. When his father leaves without warning and the vault goes haywire, there seems like no better time to escape. Is he prepared for the many trials that lie ahead on his journey? His actions will leave their mark and change the Capital Wasteland for years to come... but for better or for worse?
1. Chapter 1: Escape from Vault 101

**Legend of the Lone Wanderer**

Chapter 1: Escape from Vault 101

 **War... War Never Changes…**

Elias Hawke's short-lived rebellion and escape of the only home he'd known all his nineteen years began with a stolen switchblade. It ended in blood.

The hissing of his door opening and the footsteps that followed were the first things he heard that morning…

Elias let his eyes remain shut, not screwed but shut, as if he were sound asleep and waited for the intruder to get close. His fist tightening around the object in his grasp beneath his pillow.

The most logical explanation for such an obtrusion was Butch. Here for payback from the last time Elias ended up publicly humiliating the gangster-wannabe. But Eli was one step ahead and had been preparing for this.

When he sensed the presence at his bedside, he struck; ripping off his sheets in a feverish manner that no doubt caught the interloper off guard with one hand and revealing his glinting switchblade in the other, jabbing it menacingly a mere inch from the face of whomever had decided sneaking into his room at 7 am was a good idea. Still folded in and harmless.

Only then did he realise who it was.

"Amata?" he asked rhetorically. Sure enough, there before him stood frozen in shock was his best friend. Both inseparable since early childhood. He immediately pulled his blade away and tucked it back in its place in his belt, moving past her to shut the door. Internally admonishing himself for freaking the hell out of her.

"I'm so sorry, that was meant for Butch not you." He spun around to face her, realising he didn't know why she was here. "What in the world are you doing in here?" he asked. "You know your father would throttle me if he caught on about this," Elias jeered in a half-joke, gesturing a choking hold with his hands out in front of him.

He expected her to crack out in jests like she usually would but this time she didn't. "Uh I… I know, sorry." Amata shook herself out of her dumbstruck daze. "But this is important and I need you to listen."

 _It must be_

"You have my attention," he said, folding his arms across his chest, curious as to what this was about. It wasn't his birthday or anything… or maybe she was in on some prank with Butch and the rest of the Tunnel Snakes. No… the worry, panic and… fear in her eyes pointed to something completely different. "What's going on? Are you alright?" He put a hand to her cheek and she closed her eyes, blinking away tears brewing there.

"I'm fine, it's just that…. Oh god, E, they killed Jonas…"

It was his turn to hold the confounded expression. "What? Who?"

"Security. They think he helped your dad leave the vault and they beat him to -"

"He helped my dad what?!" Elias asked, cutting her off. A disbelieving look in his eye, hoping he heard that wrong.

Amata took a deep breath. "I was shocked too when I found out, I don't know how but he's gone." She looked away. "My father was enraged, I've never seen him so furious before and…" Her eyes widened as something triggered her memory and she realised something. "Eli, you need to get out of here, I overheard him ordering security after you, he thinks you have something to do with it…" She hesitated and looked at him cautiously. "… I mean, you don't... do you?"

Forehead creasing into a frown directed at her, Elias not believing she could think something like that. "Of course, not," he replied honestly, an edge to his voice that he instantly regretted. "I'm guessing you have a plan to get me out, right?" he said, changing the subject.

Amata nodded. "The main entrance is guarded but I know of another way. My father's office has a secret escape tunnel that leads straight to the vault door chamber. That's your ticket out of here."

A thankful smile on his face, he pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Amata. I owe you."

"Big time," she said with a smile as they parted. "Oh, and one other thing, I stole this from my father." Amata reached behind and presented a 10 mm Automatic Service Pistol. "Please… only use it as a last resort," she implored before handing it over.

Accepting the handgun and tucking it away, he offered a solemn nod of his head. "I promise. I don't think it would be a good idea for either of us to tread the halls alone. We should go together and part ways at your dad's office."

Amata nodded in response.

Elias, already dressed in his most comfortable vault suit moved past his friend and immediately collected his baseball, bat, glove, BB gun and pallets for it and first aid kit, loading them into his backpack. Basically every item he owned.

"Are you ready?" Amata asked.

He looked back at his terminal. His notes, drafts and plans were all saved on it and he didn't want anyone going through his personal stuff. He quickly deleted all the files, knowing he had backup copies stored on his Pip-boy.

Once he was done he looked up at her. "Now I'm ready."

With two deep breaths between them, they exited his quarters and stepped out into the hall.

The warning alarms for a radroach infestation were wailing and the Overseer of the vault, also Amata's dad's, voice could be heard through the PA system set on repeat:

 _The radroach infestation in under control and being dealt with. Do not interfere with security operations. Anyone found outside their assigned quarters will be shot on sight._

His sense of dread deepened.

He heard the ominous scuttling sound of radroaches and sure enough, as soon as the duo looked over at the end of the hall, an intrusion of the little bastards rounded the corner to meet them. He'd been using the mutated _Periplaneta Americana_ _as_ target practise with his BB gun since the age of ten, they were hardly a threat to him anymore.

"Under control my ass," Elias muttered to himself.

Crushing one with a stomp of his boot, Elias withdrew his baseball bat and swung at another that decided to jump for his head, swatting the pest away mid-swing before slamming the bat back down on the remaining two and killing them instantly.

He sent a wink and a half-smirk behind him to Amata. "That's why I was the MVP four years running."

They didn't make it another two steps before they were spotted by a security officer. Officer Kendall pointed at them from the opposite end of the hall. "You two!" he called. "Hold it right there."

Knowing they couldn't wait around for him to march up to them, Elias drew the pistol at his hip and took aim, hitting Kendall in the leg as intended. He only needed to slow him down.

The officer cried out and collapsed to the ground.

"I'm sorry but I can't have you following us," Elias said before taking hold of a shocked Amata's hand. "Into the bathrooms!" he said, pulling her along with him as he hit the controls and ducked beneath the rising door.

Amata barely had time to react as she was dragged through, almost hitting her head.

Once they past every stall in the men's, they zipped through the women's. Briefly tuning in to the shouts of Kendal in between.

"He going to die…" Amata whispered.

Eli closed his eyes and swallowed hard. "I know." Not his last kill, by any means, but the first.

He skid to a sudden halt once they made it through the bathrooms, hands still interlocked, Amata, who hadn't seen it coming, slammed into him sending them both stumbling into the reason he had stopped in the first place.

Butch spun around, terror-struck, eyes wide and afraid. It was then that he realised who it was and his face twisted into a scowl, though his eyes couldn't mask his fright. "Watch it!" he barked. His gaze landed on where the duo were keeping their hands, he looked up at the two with disgust. "I knew you two were dating!"

Elias and Amata exchanged a glance and their cheeks flushed simultaneously at the embarrassment. They both let go. Elias immediately scratched the back of his neck as Amata rubbed her arm nervously.

With a cough to clear his throat. "As much as we would love to stay and chat, we've got to run," Elias told the Tunnel Snake, turning on his heel to dash off down the hall. Not daring to grab for his friend's hand a second time.

"Wait! You've gotta help my mother! She's trapped in there with the radroaches!" the gang leader cried, grabbing Eli's shoulder to stop him and prodding a finger at the window into his mother's bedroom. True to his word, Ms DeLoria could be seen through the glass standing on her bed, pillow in hand, fending off the intrusion of radroaches that must've snuck in via the open-air ventilation duct.

"Alright Butch, let's go save your mother."

* * *

"Let go of me!" Elias commanded Officer Richards, whom had trapped his arm behind his back. They had ambushed the duo up the stairs to the upper level of the vault.

None of them dared lay a hand on Amata though.

Officer Wilkins, who seemed to make sure the Overseer's daughter didn't try anything, chuckled. "I don't think so, you two are coming with us."

Richards confiscated Elias' pistol. "I'll take that, thanks," he said, slipping it into his belt.

Amata snarled. "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? I demand that you let us go at once!"

Security Chief Paul Hannon, who was standing in front of them, smiled. "We know exactly who you are Amata. The both of you," he said looking to Elias. "Your father ordered your safe return and his arrest," he stated before he turned his back to them and signalled for the two guards with Amata and Elias to follow.

The two friends exchanged a fearful glance.

When the five of them arrived at the security office, Overseer Alphonse and one of the other officers where inside engaged in conversation, from what Elias picked up; heated conversation.

"Sir, I mean no disrespect but our first priority should be the safety of the vault residents. We should be dealing with the radroach infestation not hunting the doctor's kid." It was Officer Gomez, the only agreeable person on the entire security force.

The Overseer was not pleased. "The doctor and his imprudent brat are the reason they were put in danger in the first place. You deal with them first."

The officer still wished to protest, "But sir-"

Amata cut him off, "Father! Elias had nothing to do with his father's escape. He had no idea!"

He ignored her claims and turned to the Chief. "Ah, it's about time you showed up with these two."

It was then that Elias tugged, not quite relinquishing Richard's grip but dragging him forward a few paces. "Let us go, Alphonse. I'm just trying to leave this vault, I thought that was what you wanted."

The Overseer narrowed his eyes. "I _didn't_ want to be left without a doctor."

"Then you should've thought about that before you had Jonas killed," he answered coldly. "Let us go, I'm not going to ask again."

"Oh, and what are you going to do?"

Elias snatched his arms away from the officer holding him back and swept his switchblade into his grasp, flicked the knife up in one swift motion and spun around to stab Richards in the torso. An inch beneath his vest.

He heard Amata gasp in shock, saw her cover her mouth with both hands as she stepped back in his peripheral but didn't let it distract him.

In a deft motion, he snagged his pistol back from Richards's belt, shoving the keeled-over man to the ground with a boot to the chest and shot right beside Hannon's head before he could carry out the attack that Elias had anticipated, making the Chief hesitate since all he had was his baton. Elias then pointed the gun directly at Alphonse. Sending a warning look to Wilkins and Hannon immediately after who both backed off and retreated to the back of the room with Gomez.

Taking in a deep breath, Elias inwardly hoped Richards would be okay.

Overseer Alphonse didn't seem bothered by the gesture, there was only the slightest raise of his brow and narrow of his eyes in response, not feeling the least bit threatened. But he wasn't a complete fool; he knew Elias wouldn't attack him because of Amata. It was a risk, but he assumed correctly. Elias couldn't do that to his best friend.

"We're getting out of here, don't try to stop us," he said finally and lowered the pistol, he and Amata turned, headed for the door.

"Amata, do you really think you are leaving with that traitor?" He spat the last word out. "What about your only family?" Alphonse called, almost desperate.

Amata stopped mid-stride, closed her eyes and sighed before turning back to face her Father but before she could say anything, Elias did so first. "With all due respect, which is none, you're a horrible father and go to hell."

The Overseer sent a brief glare his way before looking again to Amata, awaiting a response from her.

"Father," she began icily as if she hated saying that word. Elias noted that she never called or referred to him as 'dad', it was only ever 'father'. Further pointing to their distant relationship. "Elias and his father have been more of a family to me than you ever were."

That seemed to hit a nail on the head as the Overseer looked furious. "You are treading on very thin ice there, Amata. Don't push it."

"You really are a horrible father…" she then said, even surprising Elias.

"Why you ungrateful, insolent child! After everything I've done for you!" he raged, snatching a security baton from the officers behind him with a curt "Give me that!" and stomped up to his daughter.

Elias stepped in his way. "Alphonse, I could have killed two or maybe even four of your officers here today. Remember that because if any harm comes to her and I won't hesitate to put a bullet in your mouth, got that? And you can stop blaming me and my father for this disarray because it was all your doing and you know it. Don't worry, you won't see or hear from me again otherwise."

His voice had quietened but it was loud and clear enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"Good riddance," the Overseer muttered snidely as Elias walked out the door and locked him inside with the three officers, spitting on the ground beside his feet.

* * *

"Are you really going to come with me? Even though I don't exactly like the guy, I don't want to get between you two," Elias said once they were down the hall and away from the security office.

"Um, well… though it _is_ tempting… no. My place is here, in the vault. I'm the only one my father will listen to, the only one that can talk some sense into him. I've got to do this." There was that determined glow in her eyes she always had when she was certain of something.

Elias said nothing. They had made it to the offices and his eyes widened and he found himself unable to draw breath when he saw what lay on the floor… or rather… _who_.

Jonas's body lay in a large pool of his own blood in the middle of the room. Beaten to death then left to rot.

Eli ran to Jonas' side, careful not to step in the blood. Elias squeezed his eyes shut, trying to prevent any tears. "God… how could they do this?" He ran his hand over Jonas' face, closing the man's dead eyes. As he did, he noticed that Jonas was still clutching something in his hand. He seized it gently, knowing it was a holotape.

He shoved it in his pip-boy and closed the top, eagerly waiting to listen.

 _"Hold on Jonas, I need to record this first. I... I don't really know how to tell you this. I hope you'll understand, but I know you might be angry. I thought about it for a long time, but in the end I decided it was best for you not to know. So many things could have gone wrong and there's really no telling how the Overseer will react when he finds out. It's best if he can just blame everything on me. Obviously, you already know that I'm gone. It was something I needed to do. You're an adult now. You're ready to be on your own. Maybe someday things will change and we can see each other again. I can't tell you why I left or where I'm going. I don't want you to follow me. God knows life in the vault isn't perfect, but at least you'll be safe. Just knowing that will be enough to keep me going."_

 _"Don't mean to rush you, Doc, but I'd feel better if we got this over with,"_ _Jonas's voice interrupted in the background._

 _"Okay. Go ahead. Goodbye. I love you, son."_

Elias stayed silent, his eyes welled and single a tear ran down his cheek. _Something he needed to do? What could be so important out there…?_ He sighed: more questions.

"I'm so sorry, I know Jonas was your friend," Amata said earnestly behind him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

He lowered his head.

Amata continued, walking a slow circle around him. "I took this from my father's bedroom earlier this morning." She tossed him a key card like Frisbee. "I thought I would get here before you and open it but… yeah…" she trailed. Elias already knew what happened.

Elias caught the card and without a word stood up and swiped it to open her father's office.

The room before them wasn't particularly large but it wasn't exactly small either. It was fitted with a round semi-circular desk in the centre, a row of lockers to the left side and a circular window that encompassed a view of the entire atrium. Behind the desk was a terminal that Elias ran over to.

"Do you know the password?" Amata asked.

 _Dammit!_ He completely forgot about that. Elias looked up from the screen and contemplated for a moment. _If I were the Overseer –_ he shuddered at the thought – _what would my password be? What is important to me?_

He looked over at his friend who was rifling through the lockers. "I'm going to try your name."

She snorted. "Good luck with that."

"And… I'm in," he said, a slight smile forming.

She turned around, surprised. "What? Really?"

Nodding behind the screen, Elias opened some of the files before the secret vault exit. He skimmed through the files to see if anything could be of use to him. When he came across one in particular that caught his immediate attention.

"What? That can't be right…" he trailed as he read through the contents.

"Huh?" Amata asked inquisitively, walking up behind him to look over his shoulder.

Elias' eyes widened. "It says here that the vault has been opened before! Look they even have pictures!" Elias zoomed in on a giant ant creature in the files. His mouth hung agape.

 _The adults all kept this a secret from them? Why?_

Amata was left baffled. "But- Oh great, another lie to add to the list!" She raised her fists in the air in frustration. "It's going to be longer than a full roll of toilet paper by next week, I swear…"

Elias flicked through a number of pictures and files, the giant ant, some type of large bloat-fly and something else that caught his interest - a large metal structure that was under the heading: 'Megaton'. He wasn't sure he wanted to know why it was named after that…

After he was finished downloading all the files, he activated the vault escape tunnel option. The desk in the centre of the office began to rise, supported by metal pistons. It was considerably high in the air by the time it stopped, revealing a hidden tunnel beneath.

Once they made it to the Vault's entrance, they stopped. Elias had only been here a few times before when searching for a quiet place to get away but it soon became clear that it was the escape for many secret love trysts that were awkward to see.

Amata grabbed a metal table with a powered off terminal on top and dragged it in front of the door to the room. Preventing security from reaching them for a time.

The Vault Blast Door itself was a large steel cog. A mechanical arm mounted to the Vault Entrance's ceiling was used to pull it out and open the vault. A yellow control panel was placed just past the entry Amata had blocked, they both stepped up to it.

Elias began to flip switches and press buttons on the control panel, not exactly sure what he was doing. Lastly, he pulled down a lever.

A siren on the wall near the blast door wailed and the light beside it flashed its orange hue, making Elias think he did something wrong but that's when the arm swung forward and reached for the giant cog, pulling it inward and onto the gear rack thus allowing it to roll aside, revealing a rocky cavern ahead.

Amata stared ahead in bewilderment, equally as disbelieving as her friend. "…You… you actually did it. You opened the door!" she exclaimed, her shock now replaced with excitement. "I almost didn't think it was possible!" She looked back at him with a wide smile that he couldn't help but return.

Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I couldn't have done it without your help," he said.

Blushing slightly, she shook her head. "No… you didn't need me, you would've done fine on your own… just like I know you will out there. If anyone could survive in the wasteland from this vault, it would be you."

They embraced in a tight squeeze, Elias didn't want to let go, before they broke apart.

"Forget what I said before, come with me."

His childhood friend looked away. "You know I can't do that… I'm sorry."

"Goodbye… Amata," he said finally and turned to the passage before them.

"Wait," she said as soon as he had taken his first step.

Struck with curiosity and a small kindle of hope that maybe she'd join him, he looked back at her and to his surprise, Amata grabbed him by his vault suit collar and kissed him passionately on the lips. His hands moves to rest on her waist. Their eyelids fluttered downwards and closed unconsciously.

When they parted, their cheeks clouded. "I'm sorry… I've just always wanted to do that." She smiled at him coyly, her eyes glowing somewhat.

Elias blinked away his daze, trying to make sure his vision wasn't hazy and that was indeed Amata who had been the one to share his first kiss with. His face lit up with an endearing grin. "Don't be," he whispered before they kissed again, more intense but softer. They were interrupted by the shouts of security on the other side of the door that Amata had previously barricaded.

Amata pushed him back by his chest with both hands. "Go! Before security get here!"

Elias jumped down the steps. "Will I ever see you again?" he asked. Security began banging violently on the door, using something as a battering ram, rumbling the table shoved up to it.

A pained expression flickered on her face as she shook her head. "I… don't know… just go. Now!" As she said her last word, the officers burst through the door. The table skidding out of the way with its terminal falling off before smashing on the concrete.

Amata ran back up the escape tunnel before any of the officers could grab her. Elias ran out into the dark cave… Never to set foot in the vault ever again.

Nearly tripping on something as he stumbled out the exit, when Elias shone his pip-boy light over it he almost tumbled back. About six skeletons lay in a heap at the entrance. Some still had protest signs clutched in their bony hands reading: "Let us in!" and "We're dying assholes!"

His breathing accelerated, he ran off, away from the vault.

When he noticed a wooden door at the end, light streaming through the cracks, at the exit of the cave he began to sprint.

A strange feeling welled inside him; not only would he miss some of these people he was leaving behind but he'd miss the person he was here because he'd never be that way ever again...

The last thing he heard that morning was the shriek of the giant steel door of Vault 101 screeching closed behind him.

He didn't look back…

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the fallout series or any of its characters.**

 **A/N: Hoped you enjoyed this first chapter of Legend of the Lone Wanderer. I apologise if this was cringy. I'm a fairly neophyte writer and this is my first go at the whole novel length story business. I like to think it gets better as you go through and I promise my chapters aren't all so obviously novice.**

 **This will be my take on the story of Fallout 3 but I'm open to suggestions. If you have any, PM me or leave them in the reviews. Feedback in any for form including c** **onstructive criticism is welcome and encouraged.**

 **Have a good one! :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome to the Wasteland

Chapter 2: Welcome to the Wasteland

Elias was not prepared for the sudden brightness as he emerged into the light of day for the very first time. He raised his Pip-boy hand up, index fingers and thumb pressed together in an attempt to shade his face from the sun that had eluded him his entire life. Elias was not prepared for the heat that engulphed him, felling like he'd just plunged headlong from the south pole into a furnace. Elias was also not prepared for the sight when his eyes finally adjusted.

Tears streamed down his face. Tears of pure happiness and of relief. He'd dreamed of this moment. Of finally leaving. Of finally being free.

As he knelt down, he scooped up a rock at his foot, brushing his thumb over its surface. He gripped it tightly, smiling to himself, before gently placing it back down again and leaving it behind as he walked away.

He made his way over to the edge of the overlook to scope the landscape.

He'd been told his entire life that the nuclear war had left the surface a shattered, intolerable and dangerous place… a barren wasteland of nothingness… yet, why did he find it so beautiful?

The remains of some pre-war town were down the nearest road, a collapsed pump station just off the cracked concrete of the same street and out further in the distance he could make out the demolished ruins of DC. Directly ahead was a metal structure jutting out over some hills. He had a pretty good idea what it was.

"Megaton," he thought aloud. From the looks of it and the entry of the Overseer's terminal, it was a settlement founded after the bombs dropped. The closest settlement. He decided to head there first, maybe had father had stopped by.

Trekking down the incline, he followed the road into the husk of the pre-war town. The houses were missing roofs and large sections of the walls that seemed to cave in and join the floor. Past a block was a gas station, its Nuka Cola machine still flickering in the background. There were a few cars along the road that had likely been there since the bombs dropped but their paint was faded and chipped, most of their important components were absent, reducing them to nothing more than scrap metal.

Not too long later, he found himself next to a rusted, corrugated iron sheet that seemed to be used as a sign, 'Megaton' and an arrow pointing in the direction he was facing painted on in yellow. He flicked his gazed upon the massive settlement. It thrust its metal walls high into the air and Elias realised how small he looked beside it. It looked like it was constructed with aeroplane scraps, if one of the engines and two wings for a gate were anything to go off.

A robot 'Protectron' stood guard at the gate and a man in a headwrap was sat in a seat at the top as a lookout of sorts. Another man with wild hair and a jacket with bits of miscellaneous objects protruding out of every pocket next to a woman in leather armour whom Elias assumed to be a guard. The thing that surprised him most, however, was the two-headed cow behind them. Bags, boxes, guns, ammo crates and other random junk tied to its back in a huge bundle. It had rotten pinkish skin that was peeling off in numerous places, black beady eyes and a long thin tail.

After his quick look around, Elias continued forward, approaching the robot.

"Well I'll be damned," laughed someone behind him. When Elias turned to see who it was, he saw a swarthy man with a cowboy hat and duster to match, with a golden sheriff star shining proudly upon his chest. The man had just jumped down from a gathering of rocks and Elias was surprised he didn't see or hear him. "You're from that vault, ain't ya'?" he asked but before the vault dweller could reply the man continued, "Vault 101! Man, I haven't seen one of those jumpsuits in a LONG time. Names Lucas Simms, town sheriff… and mayor too, when the need arises," he introduced himself with a warm smile as he held out his hand.

Elias shook it firmly with a smile in return. "Pleasure to meet you, sheriff. Elias Hawke but you can just call me Eli."

Quirking an eyebrow, "Friendly AND well-mannered?" he asked, surprised. "I think we're gunna get along just fine. You treat my people right, and you're welcome to stay as long as you like."

"We're you always standing over there and I'm blind or did you just get here?"

Simms laughed. "I just got back from my patrol of the area, yeah."

Before Elias could get another word in, the guy keeping watch on the platform above stood up. "Sorry to cut your introductions short, sheriff, but we have company. Coming in from Springvale."

Lucas cursed. "Again? Damn raiders! How many, Stockholm?"

'Stockholm' searched down the scope of his sniper rifle. "About half a dozen of 'em from the looks of it."

The sheriff nodded in thought. "Alright. Everyone take cover. Stock, keep those gates shut."

"Raiders?" Elias asked as Lucas squatted behind the nearest boulder. Hoping it wasn't him he drew them here when he passed through the old town.

"Yeah, real assholes that think they're entitled to any and everything they want. If you have it and they want it, they'll attack ya' for it. You'll see what I mean. I hope you know how to use that thing," he said, nodding to the pistol at Elias' hip.

"Oh no. I just carry this around to look tough." When he was met with an unamused look, he rolled his eyes. "I can handle myself." He equipped and inspected that his gun was loaded before checking around for any suitable cover, found it and ducked down behind.

The duo with the two-headed cow guided the animal away so that it wouldn't be caught in the crossfire which meant they wouldn't be able to help as much in this fight.

"You fuckers are going to die!" One of the raiders yelled as he rounded the corner and past Elias' cover.

He was shot dead by Stockholm before Elias could get in any bullets of his own.

The second raider who wasn't too far behind noticed her fallen buddy and backed up. "Shit" was her last word before she was shot with a quick burst from Simms' AK-47.

The four or so others were more careful and bobbed down on the other side of the rocks Elias was behind.

He inhaled sharply. _Screw it._ Elias climbed the pile of rocks and aimed down the sights. Four consecutive shots rang out and four raiders fell dead with a new hole in their head each.

He said nothing as he jumped back down and walked to the entrance.

* * *

The wooden shack door to the saloon creaked open and it seemed as though all eyes were upon the vault dweller when he entered, the room fell silent. After a few moments of awkwardness everyone returned to their business which was just consisted of drinking, chatting, drunken laughing and more drinking. The usual of a local bar, or so he assumed.

Elias noted the darkness of the saloon, lighting was minimal and even when there was, it was extremely dim almost as if on the brink of switching off. And he couldn't get over the stench of turpentine in the air.

Gazing around, a few things caught Elias' attention, to his left was a small round table with a lone chair beside it. In the chair was an attractive woman no older than he was, green eyes, blond hair swept back into a bun. The woman was wearing a black sleeveless jacket with a dirtied white shirt underneath. She didn't seem to belong in place like this. That's when he noticed the intrigued expression she wore and her stare directly on him. He looked away immediately, hoping he himself hadn't been staring.

Past the woman was a back room with about two tables in each corner, with two chairs per table. At one of the tables was seated a lonesome man. His fancy formal suit marked his mysteriousness just as much as his fedora and shades did. Though Elias couldn't see past the thick lens of his sunglasses, he had a funny feeling in his gut that the man was sizing him up.

He nervously inhaled and snapped his attention to the bar.

In front of the bar, in between two stools, was another woman in a rather… revealing shirt and skirt. She had fiery red hair, though Elias couldn't see her face since she was turned in the other direction. Over the counter was what looked like a corpse, talking, walking, breathing and everything. His appearance must've been a side effect of an overexposure to radiation. His face was mostly rotten muscle with bits of flesh hanging off, the same case with his body, scruffs of hair on his head. He was angrily banging on a radio with his fists that responded somewhat mockingly by spitting static.

"Arg! Son of a bitch! Why won't you work?" he said in a low hoarse growl, talking to the broken piece of technology.

The redhead answered back for the radio. "I told you Gob, it ain't the radio. The Enclave station comes in fine. It's Galaxy News. Their signal's been pretty shit lately," she told him as she put the cigarette between her fingers to her lips and smoked a puff nonchalantly.

Stepping towards the bar, Elias winced at the sight and smell of the smoke, trying to hold back a cough. As soon as he did, the zombie-like man turned his attention to him and dropped his hands to his side.

"Uh hi there… can I get you a drink?" Gob asked, addressing him, sounding nervous.

The vault dweller shook his head. "Oh no, I'm not here for liquor. I was actually wondering if I could speak with the owner of this establishment, if possible," Elias replied hopefully. He doubted that neither woman or the ghoul owned the saloon. Mainly due to the massive, ostentatious sign above the building outside that read; 'Moriarty's Saloon' and neither of them were addressed as such. Lucas had told him this would be his best bet for finding information of his father's whereabouts.

The guy behind the counter raised what remained of an eyebrow. "Wait… you're not going to hit me? Berate me? Not even yell at me?" he asked quickly. Surprise evident on his rotten features.

Taken aback by Gob's questioning, Elias raised his own brow. "I hadn't planned on it, no. You've been friendlier than most I've met so far." He thought back to the raiders and even some of the people in the vault. "What kind of person would I be if I responded with hostility?"

Gob's face split into a wide grin. "Well now, colour me surprised. It's nice to meet a smoothskin who isn't an asshole and gives me shit just because I look like a rotting corpse. I'm glad to see there are a few worthwhile people around here." He quickly looked left to right and leant forward with his forearm on the bench. "Listen… Moriarty'd have my head if he caught me giving out free drinks, but for you ill risk it," he said, reaching under the bar to grab a beer. Setting it on the counter.

"Forgive me for asking but what… are you?"

Gob didn't seem offended by the question. He slid the beer towards the vaultie who caught it before it slipped off the counter. "A ghoul. We're walking corpses who haven't had the good fortune to die already."

"I guess that's one way of looking at it."

"And before some dumbass tries to tell you, no, we're not zombies. I ain't gunna eat your brains out. But those ones down in the metro's, the emaciated ferals that hiss at you when you get too close. Those _are_ zombies and will eat your brain right before they tear you to shreds. Steer clear of them." He used a grubby dishcloth to wipe the bench.

"Uh, thanks for the heads up… I guess," he said, unsure how to respond to something like that.

"Now, what were you saying before?"

Elias gave up asking about the owner. "Well, I'm searching for my father, middle-aged guy, likely wearing a vault jumpsuit similar to mine. Lucas suggested I ask around here about it." Elias finally popped the cap and took a swig, the expression his face twisted into gave the impression that he was sucking on a sour lemon. Absolutely loathed the flavour. Since it was his first experience drinking alcohol and he didn't want to seem weak or rude, he reluctantly swallowed it down.

"Oh yeah, I remember a guy like that -" Gob was about to elaborate but cut off by a spatula smacking the back of his head. He grimaced and cowered low.

A man with ashen grey hair in a sort of blasted back style and a goatee to match held the spatula above his head as if threatening to hit Gob again. "I don't pay ya' to chit-chat with the customers!" he yelled in a strong Irish accent.

Gob nodded weakly before scurrying away. Elias placed the beer on the counter in front of him, tightening his fist of his free hand. He didn't like this guy already. "You're Moriarty, I presume?" he asked as politely as he could, given the display he'd had the displeasure of witnessing not thirty seconds before.

Moriarty's eyes widened when he turned his attention to vaultie and noticed the vault jumpsuit. "My God! It's you! The little baby boy all grown up! You look just like him." He cheered happily. The older man placed his hands on the counter and leaned in, studying Elias' features.

Elias raised an eyebrow as he cautiously took a step back. "I'm sorry but you must have mistaken me for someone else."

"No, no there's no mistake. Your James' kid, right? Hmm… Eli was it?"

The vault dweller's eyes widened in shock. "What? How is that possible? My father and I were born in Vault 101," he stated, matter-of-factly. Refusing to believe such nonsense. His father probably just informed Moriarty of his name when he met him. Yeah, that made sense.

Moriarty straightened up and stared back at him in humoured disbelief. "Is that what your father told you? That you were born in that hole?" he snorted in amusement. "That HE was born there as well?" Moriarty burst into laughter. Everyone in the saloon was watching them now, making Elias feel extremely uncomfortable and foolish. "Oh the lies we tell the ones we love," he said, shaking his head. "Your father brought you to the vault right after you were born. To keep you safe, you see? I remember it well, you stayed in my saloon after all."

Elias shook his head, _very_ tempted to back up another step, refusing to believe what was coming out of saloon owners mouth. But… somewhere deep down, somewhere at the back of his mind he knew the man was telling the truth. He had no reason to lie, nothing to gain. Elias, on the other hand, had a lot more questions for his father.

"That's right," Moriarty affirmed, noticing Eli's look of anguish. "Your father, his Brotherhood of Steel friend and you, the suckling babe with nary a tit to suckle. Sorry about your mom. Truly. But, life goes on. Daddy lied. Life's full of little disappointments. And now… you're all grown up and wondering where he's gone…"

His fake sympathy wasn't appreciated by his guest as he was cut off by Elias' little patience, "Look, let's just cut to the chase, I know you want you want something from me in return for the info, so spill it," he snapped through clenched teeth. His index finger pointed at the man accusingly.

Moriarty chuckled as he gently pushed Elias' hand down. "You catch on quick, kid. That's the way of it out here, for sure. _You want something, you take it_. Or you pay in cold hard caps. Say… two hundred."

Eli shook his head he didn't have two hundred caps let alone fifty. "I don't have that kind of money," he said quietly

The saloon owner wasn't surprised. "All right, kid. Let me help you out... y'know, for old time's sake. If you don't have the caps to pay for information, then maybe you could do a little favour for me," he offered.

Elias crossed his arms. "So, you want me to do your dirty work?" he questioned, unimpressed.

The other man seemed offended by the comment. "Who said anything about dirty work? You need some caps. I'm giving you a way to get 'em. It's just business." He shrugged.

Elias rolled his eyes. "Fine."

A slightly devious smile slipped from the corners of Moriarty's mouth. "All right, there's this junkie bitch named Silver, borrowed quite a few caps from me… claimed she could start funnelling Jet and Psycho to me for a good price..." he began.

Elias frowned at him. _Jet and Psycho?_ He thought. Elias assumed they were some form of drugs by the way the saloon owner described them but he had never heard of them before. Instead of helping the human race to survive, people decided to contribute to its destruction. _Typical._

The saloon owner continued, "Problem is, she scrammed with the loot and set herself up in Springvale so she can inject herself into a stupor. Get the caps she owes me and they're yours… yours to pay me with anyway..." The last part he mumbled under his breath.

Elias thought for a moment, weighing his options. He turned and headed for the door. When he reached for the handle he tilted his head slightly to talk over his shoulder,

"I'll see what I can do Moriarty."

* * *

Elias wasn't going to Springvale, he wasn't going to run around as Moriarty's errand boy and he wasn't going to stumble upon more raiders, he pronounced. Instead he sat in a stool at the Brass Lantern, a small café right next to the Atomic bomb for which this town was named, in the centre of it. By the bomb an old man was preaching something about it, standing in the irradiated water. Elias gladly ignored his litany of incessant ramblings.

Jenny Stahl, one of the three owners, stood sweeping the ground on the other side of the bench while they exchanged words.

"Yep, he wants me to return him some 'missing caps'," Elias informed her. He took a deep breath. He had no idea what he was going to do. A looming fear began to overtake him; what if he never found his father?

She nodded her head. "Sounds like him, always trying to pump cash outa everyone." She chuckled a bit like it was a hilarious old joke.

Elias sighed, his face found his hands. "What am going to do?" he asked, though it was more to himself than Jenny since she was acting frivolous and not taking anything seriously. Maybe it was a bad idea revealing this to her.

Unbeknown to Elias, Jenny quickly glanced side to side, making sure no one else was within earshot, before she leaned in closer and whispered, "Look, there… might be another way for you to get your fathers location. There's a terminal in the back of the saloon, it's where he keeps dirt on everyone in town. If you can get in and hack the terminal, info on your father's location is bound to be on there."

Elias' head perked up at the sudden opportunity, he stared at her in disbelief. This was the perfect opportunity. A chance to continue on his pursuit of his father and a chance to strike Moriarty where it hurt most. When a question came to mind. "How do you know that?" he asked with his brow furrowed curiously at her.

"Are you kidding? EVERYONE in town knows about it! Well… except for you of course. It's one of Megatons worst kept secrets," she told him, finding the fact amusing.

 _I wonder why_.

A plan formed in his mind. "What time does the saloon close?"

"Uh… they usually close at midnight but the lights don't go out till around 1 am."

Elias nodded, reached into the pocket of his jumpsuit and pulled out a handful of caps he got off the raiders that had attacked as soon as he got there. He set them on the bench as he got up from his stool. "Thanks Jenny." He smiled.

She smiled back as she pocketed the caps. "Have a good one, stranger."

Cracking a smile, he stalked off. Finding the fact that he hadn't even given her a name yet he had confessed his problems to her funny. Elias checked his Pip-boy, 1 p.m. it read. He still had time to kill before he would break into the saloon. He walked around a bit before he came upon a leaky water pipe. He had remembered seeing another spraying at the entrance when he spoke with Lucas. And decided to fix them. This one was near what the settlers referred to as the 'Common House' which was just a nicer term for 'Homeless Shelter'.

He refiled through his backpack and pulled out his tool set. Stanley had given it to him for his 16th birthday so that he could help with the vault maintenance from time to time. After about 15 minutes, some duct tape and scrap metal. The pipe was fixed but he knew it wouldn't last forever. They would need to be regularly maintained. Elias made his way over to the entrance and found the other pipe he saw when he first entered, this one was worse than the last. The water was actually spraying out of the pipe rather than just pouring. It took him longer with this one but he managed to seal it.

After half an hour of following all the pipes around Megaton he found another and probably the last. However, it was on the top of the church so he would have to climb up. He sighed heavily before clipping the tool kit to his belt and beginning to grapple himself up.

 _What do you call me on top of a church?_ He grinned to himself. _Holy shit._ And he burst out laughing. People below giving him odd looks encouraged him to stop.

When he was done he was headed to the Water Treatment Plant. Elias past 'Craterside Supply' again and knew that would be his second stop. It was about time...

He knocked on the door of the plant, when he didn't get a reply he curiously pushed the door open. "Hello?" he called in.

He heard someone groan before stomping out from an office to greet him. An old man with a greasy blue mechanic jumpsuit. The man rubbed his hands on his jumpsuit before looking up. "Can I help you?" The old man asked impatiently, he sounded grumpy like Elias had interrupted something important.

"Oh, I just wanted to let you know that I fixed the pipes -" he was cut off by the man asking,

"You did?" Just as quickly he walked up to a generator. Elias couldn't see what he was doing. "You did! Judging by the pressure in the plant, you fixed all the pipes! I've been so busy in here I haven't gotten around to doing it myself." The man then walked back into the office, returning a few moments later with a Vault-Tec lunch box. "Here's your pay, 200 caps, don't spend it all in one place," he advised, handing it to Elias, before grabbing a wrench and walking over to another generator. It all happened so fast, Elias didn't even have time to blink.

Sure enough, the lunchbox was filled with bottle caps of all kinds.

A smile slipped from the corner of his mouth. "Thanks," was all Elias could manage. He could now pay Moriarty to find out where his father went… but curiosity got the better of him. Something about Moriarty's words rang through his mind, _'you want something, you take it'._ Right now, what he wanted was to get to Moriarty's terminal and take its information. He wanted to find out all of the saloon owners dirty little secrets, and he would… in due time.

Opening the door to Craterside Supply, Elias was met with a cloud of smoke that blew right up his nostrils causing him to cough frantically. He pulled his jacket up to his face to block the smoke and searched the room.

At the back was a lady in a Robco jumpsuit, with exact red hair. _That can't be natural_. She was hunched over a chemistry station brewing chemicals at the back of the room. Smoke was erupting from a beaker over a Bunsen burner, some type of liquid was spilt over the bench and dripping onto the floor. Elias cringed at the sight. This was definitely not a suitable environment for experiments.

When she heard the bell of the door ring she immediately said, "Don't mind the smoke! It's perfectly safe to breathe! I think…" the last part she mumbled to herself. She set her beaker and test tube back down, grabbed a piece of cloth and wiped up the spill, rather hastily, before dusting herself off.

Elias noticed a man clad in leather armour and an assault rifle resting casually in his hands, with his back against the wall, a few feet away. He also had a bandana tied around his mouth. _Clever_.

The woman then returned to the store section of the room behind the counter. She looked him up and down before smiling. "Hey, you're that stray from the vault! Haven't seen one of you in… a couple of years actually. Good to meet you! I'm Moira Brown. I run Craterside Supply, but what I really do is mostly tinkering and research," she said excitedly. "Say, I'm working on a book about the wasteland it'd be great to have the foreword by a vault dweller. Help me out, would you?"

* * *

 **An hour later...**

Elias adjusted the strap on his harness. In return for his input as a vault dweller, Moira had given him a harness to carry more equipment and some leather pads for armour that he put on over the security Kevlar vest Amata handed him in her father's office. He now possessed a right knee guard, a large left shoulder pad along with a thick ammo bandolier attached, a right deltoid pad and a right forearm guard.

Looking the part of a vault dweller turned wastelander, which he now was.

While he was at the store he sold the other flimsy pistols he scrounged off the raiders he took care of outside Megaton. That left him with his 10 mm and his bat that was still poking out of his bag. He doubted he would have to use it seeing as most people had guns and it was suicide running at them with mêlée weapons. Nostalgia was really the only reason he kept it. He had won MVP for the vaults baseball team with the bat and didn't have the heart to sell it. He also still had the ball and glove in the front pocket of his bag.

Moira had tasked him with retrieving food and medicine from the Super Duper Mart, a pre-war super market as part of her 'Wasteland Survival Guide'. Elias didn't expect anything to be there after 200 years but Moira assured she'd pay him just to take a look and he accepted for that pay and the chance to kill more time.

He counted the caps as he walked, he took 15 off the raiders, got 200 for fixing the pipes and due to his barter with Moira he got an extra 27. _Two-hundred and forty-two, not bad for my first day in the wastes_. He sighed, this was his first of many days in the wasteland to come.

Pulling his bag around to his front, Elias shoved the lunchbox back in.

It was 3:30pm by the time he reached the Super Duper Mart, he was coming at it from behind, on an angle. He saw a few cars in the car park along with a bus. At the back was a ventilation system and three dumpsters.

When Elias came around to the front, had he been the squeamish type, his last meal would've been introduced to the concrete beneath his feet. What before the bombs provided shade for the customers entering and exiting the grocery store now provided an excellent place to hang mutilated bodies off of meat hooks from. There were about three bodies in total all down the undercover.

He swallowed bile that threatened to creep up his throat and reluctantly headed inside.

Elias found himself in a small entranceway where customers would collect a shopping cart before the bombs.

Like the saloon, the mart was inundated in darkness. The only form of light the place received shone in through cracks in the ceiling. He was about to help with that and turn on his Pip-boy light when he heard a voice and he froze.

"Splinter is out tearing up some supply caravan, I bet. He'll be back before you know it." The voice was low and husky like the owner had been smoking heavily for years.

 _Raiders,_ he thought, crouching low.

"I'm not worried about him, it's just unfair that they get to out and the rest of us are stuck 'ere in this dump." Another voice complained. It sounded younger and less experienced.

"Shut the fuck up, you two! Can't I just have a little peace and quiet?" A feminine voice contributed. Elias heard stomping then the clatter of rubbish being squished beneath heavy feet.

He crept forward till he reached the door frame which he took cover behind and peered into the mart; several bare aisles were lined up behind checkouts in his path. To the right was what looked like a small storage area with a door where he assumed the meats were once kept. To the left were the bathrooms with an area between them and the aisles that was wide enough to give him a good view down the back. It looked like a bigger storage room from where Elias was crouched.

Atop the aisles were two raiders with rifles patrolling on either end of the room, planks of wood were used as bridges from aisle to aisle. By the bathrooms was a raider sitting in a chair cleaning her gun and at the back was another raider warming his hands on a fire in a steel barrel.

From his little experience with raiders so far, he deduced that they were not going to allow him to simply wander in, grab the rations and wander out. No. Technically, he was trespassing on their grounds even though they had no entitlement to this place. He was going to have to sneak his way in. From the voices he heard and raiders he could see, he guessed there were only five of them in here. He had fought four off earlier, one extra wasn't going to make much of a difference. Besides, he had the element of surprise on his side.

He could do this.

* * *

 **Sarah's POV:**

Sarah Lyons idly watched as two initiates sparred in the ring. Two locally conscripted initiates. And they were horrible. Oh, how tempted she was to jump in and kick both their asses herself. She couldn't accept them into the Pride for training, they'd fall behind and end up dead. They weren't ready… and she didn't know if they ever would be.

She had to resist the urge to groan audibly and facepalm as she observed one of them attempt a roundhouse kick, only to hit his opponent's hip with his shin and harm them both.

 _Is this really the best the Brotherhood has to offer?_

When she noticed Gallows approaching she inwardly thanked the heavens. "Do I finally get a break from this torture?" she asked jokingly.

"You were hardly doing anything," he said with a chuckle.

"Exactly, that's the problem."

He got on to what he came for. "Your father called for you."

She frowned, unsure what it could be about. "Do you know what it's about?"

"Didn't ask, sorry."

With a sigh, "Damn, alright," she said and headed off. Bracing herself for whatever it was she was going to hear.

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

Elias had snuck over to the meat storage alcove and began looting as little as there was available. The shelves were bare apart from the occasional empty tin can, as expected, opening metal boxes only to find more trash.

"Worthless," he muttered in annoyance.

He crept over to the counter he'd clambered over to get in here and noticed a strange looking pistol resting on the bottom shelf, he grabbed it to examine and looked over it in interest. There was a small compartment for batteries. _Judging by the size, I'd say it uses energy cells._

Heaving out metal ammo boxes, Elias rummaged through. The first two had magazines for his handgun, glorious energy cells awaited him inside the third.

Having exhausted the possibilities in this room, he moved on and jumped over the counter once more, deciding to creep around the side and gain access to the main storage room at the back.

As he made his way beside the end aisle, he accidentally nudged an empty Nuka-Cola bottle with his boot. It clinked away on the concrete, the noise attracting the attention of one of the raiders on patrol atop of the aisle.

Elias ducked away on the end, eyeing the raider as he came over to investigate. "Who's back here? This isn't funny." The man dropped down from the aisle and looked around, Elias pressed his back to the aisle at the same time to avoid being spotted. The man walked over to the opposite end to look around, and Elias used this opportunity to remove him from the equation.

He flicked out his switchblade and silently and slowly drew nearer and nearer before standing up behind him and slashing the raider's neck. Catching the man before his body hit the ground.

Elias swallowed hard and crept away.

* * *

 **Sarah's POV:**

"You wanted to see me, father?" She noticed the look he was giving her on his weathered face and the soldier he had been speaking with and realised her error. "I mean, Elder."

"Yes, we've received word from the Galaxy News Radio outpost. Knight Dillon is requesting aid to help with a new band of Supermutants that have been harassing them recently. Gather a few members of the Pride and head out immediately-"

Finally, she could leave. "Thank you, fa- Elder." She nodded and a wide grin stretched across her face.

"Bring a few of the initiates with you, this will be good for their training."

Her smile faded as quickly as it had formed. "Of course, Elder. Was there anything else?"

"No, that will be all. Dismissed."

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

Taking down another raider with two quick stabs and twists to the kidneys, Elias made it to the back of the store, the back room blocked off with a locked door. A terminal sat on a small table nearby that Elias began to hack into, pulling out the cord in his Pip-boy and plugging it in. Green lines of code began to appear on the screen.

When he finally gained access, he dipped inside. The storage room was full in contrast to the rest of the grocery store; Scrap metal, parts and electronics littered the shelves surrounding them with trash covering the floor. Elias spotted a large first aid bag on a bench ahead and ran up to it. The bag was just under the size of his backpack. But his pack was too full to be able to stuff it in.

He unzipped and checked the inside. Sure enough, it was full of medical supplies along with loads of different variants of chems. Even Elias didn't recognise some.

The former vault dweller glanced over to the side and found a glass pod. Inside was a robot Protectron like the one out the front of Megaton, except this one was cleaner and possessed fewer scratches on the ancient black paint job. A terminal was on the wall next to it. Elias moved to hack it when he was interrupted by a scruffy voice that came over the intercom,

"Hey guys were back…- wait why is the back room open? Hold on a minute…"

* * *

 **Splinter's POV:**

Splinter and his gang formed a semi-circle around the entrance to the storage room, ready to ambush whoever had butchered members of his team and had broken into his loot room to steal all his lifted goods. They heard the unmistakeable sound of metal clanging against the floor and this just put them on edge even more. Fist, his second in command glanced over at him with a confused but frightened expression. Splinter just nodded nervously at the entrance again.

A robot exited the room, the raiders hesitated long enough for it to shoot and kill two of them. Red laser beams burning into their flesh.

The raiders began shooting frantically at it, a few stray shots rang past, but most hit. However, the Protectron just soaked them all up and killed another of their team. Splinter furrowed his brow and swapped his trusty sidearm with his retro PMK16. Flashing the robot a toothy grin.

Then a figure emerged behind the bot and, wearing an armoured vault suit, shot at the remaining two of Splinters crew and killed them in seconds like it was nothing. The young man's gaze landed on him and it was icy, chilling him to the bone, with no trace of fear. His breathing controlled and his aim steady. He smiled and said;

"You want to fight? Then let's fight."

* * *

 **Elias' POV: Two hours later…**

After the encounter in the Mart, Elias had rushed back to Megaton and now found himself sat on an unoccupied bed in the common house. It was soon time to break into Moriarty's, after he took the info he'd leave Megaton and head off to wherever his father was going. He set his Pip-boy's alarm for 2:00 am in the morning when he planned his break in, the spare time in between he'd get some rest. His backpack resting within his grasp to prevent his gear from being stolen, he lay down and fell sound asleep.

His alarm went off, he had set it as just a vibration so only he would feel it and the other sleepers wouldn't wake.

Carefully, he put his backpack on and left.

There was no one in sight but that didn't reassure him, so he crouched down and crept slowly towards the saloon. Like a wraith in the night, he crept along like he did inside the Super Duper Mart until he swiftly reached the back entrance. He shoved his bag under the ramp so that he wouldn't make any noise and attract any unwanted attention.

Elias cautiously pulled down on the handle, locked. The lock didn't look all too difficult to crack so he would pick it. He pulled out his bobby pins and screw driver and slowly began to pick the lock. It opened with a slight 'click'. He waited a minute just in case anyone inside had heard. When he was satisfied, he entered. The room was pitch black save for the terminal screen. Elias looked around, there was a bed to the left, thankfully Moriarty wasn't in it though. A liquor cabinet straight in front of him and next to that was the terminal with a desk chair. Eli slid like a snake as quietly as he could up to the terminal.

He plugged in his Pip-boy and began to hack at it. 'Lotsofcaps' was the password, Elias sighed at this before realising what he'd done and covered his mouth with his free hand.

 _Shit_

He waited for the sounds of footsteps. But they never came.

He then began to open all the files. It was true what Jenny Stahl had said; he did have secrets on every person in the town. He found a file on his father and skimmed through it. It was also true that he was born in the wasteland.

His heart sank, a tiny part of him wanted to believe it wasn't true but this confirmed it. His father, did in fact meet Moriarty before entering the Vault and then met up with him again after he left. He was headed to some place called 'Galaxy News Radio' in D.C. Elias remembered Gob and the red head talk about it when he first came to the bar. But he didn't know how to get there. Silently cursing, he decided he'd figure it out once he was out of danger.

Hastily he downloaded all the files, it seemed like forever even though it only took half a minute.

 _Someone like Moriarty can't have information like this in his grasp_ , Elias thought. He'd have to find some way to delete everything off the terminal without Moriarty finding out that it was him. He opened a hatch on top of the terminal and pulled out some of the wires. The screen jolted a bit before switching off. Eli pressed the power button but the terminal didn't load. He smiled to himself in the darkness.

Locking the door behind him, about to make his great escape, he collected his bag and he walked down the ramp towards Craterside Supply, heading for the exit of Megaton.

He looked around behind him, he had a feeling he was being watched but shook it off and continued on.

That's when he heard the noise…


	3. Chapter 3: Second and Third Dawn

**Inspiration: Anatomy of crabs, Information on Atomic Bombs and Stages of Deterioration in the Human Body.**

 **Don't even ask.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Second and Third Dawn

 **Lucy's POV:**

Lucy West needed to know.

She already knew, but she needed to know in a way that could be proven. She already knew something was wrong, that something was up. She had this feeling in her gut. That feeling, that instinct, had never failed her before and she be damned if she was going to ignore it this time.

All she needed was someone willing to go with her. Someone she could trust… with her life. Someone who wouldn't shoot her in the back and rob her dead body half-way. And she knew just the perfect man for the job. She'd seen him walk into the bar, fresh-faced. He wasn't like the rest of the people in this wasteland. He was special. She knew it.

The Vault Dweller.

Moriarty had said his name was "Eli". She wasn't sure if that was his full name or his name abbreviated but he reacted to it so it would have to do.

She watched from the shadows as he made his way down the ramp from the saloon, he took a look over should to check that he wasn't being followed and, satisfied, he continued on.

He was right to be cautious especially after what he did. Stealing from the most dangerous man in Megaton and one of the most dangerous in the Wastes was a naïve mistake. But he was looking in the wrong direction. She wasn't behind, she was in front just the way she liked it.

As he drew closer, she was about to step out of the shadows and confront him but there was a noise from down in the crater. A clanging noise of metal on metal. They both heard it.

She hid away, letting the shadows consume and conceal her once more. Eli, on the other hand, walked over to the railing, placing his hands on them, peered over the ledge to check it out. She was tempted to take a look as well, curious as to what might've made it but she couldn't blow this.

Whatever he saw must've piqued his interest because he took off down the catwalk, jumping down from the railing once at a safe enough point that he wouldn't break both legs from the jump. She followed after him.

As she stalked down, keeping to the shadows, she wondered what could've caused the noise. It was too late for anyone to be up, the Children of Atom lunatics didn't preach this late.

When she was close enough to see and hear everything but further enough away that she wouldn't be spotted, she stopped.

Eli found the source alright… Burke…

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

When he spotted the head peeking around the Atomic Bomb in the centre, he knew he had to investigate.

The head belonged to the man he saw at the bar, wearing the fedora, shades and fancy suit. Elias knew there was something off about him.

Elias hopped over the railing and landed on the ground, silently commando rolling out of the impact and ducking behind the other side of the bomb so that the strange man wouldn't see him. He then peeked round to the side the man was on.

Mr Sketchy had his head turned to look behind him, and was walking in Elias' direction who stepped in the way to block him.

An expression of fright crossed the man's face when he bumped into Elias, that only deepened when he was grabbed by the collar with two hands and slammed against the bomb. The force great enough that the man's sunglasses slid off and chipped in the dirt.

His surprise quickly gave way to anger. "Unhand me! What right do you -" he stopped himself, realising he was yelling and calmed down. "I have very pressing matters to attend to, now if you'll excuse me."

"Indeed, you seem like you're in an awful hurry to get out of here," Elias perceived. "What were you doing with the bomb?"

The stranger's eyes danced from the nuke then back to Elias. Nervousness flashed in them. "Oh, ah, nothing… just admiring the beautiful aesthetics of this fine piece of pre-war technology." Forced smile glued to his face as he patted the metal shell he was propped up against.

Elias' brow creased into a frown, not believing a word that came from this man's mouth. "Funny how you chose to do so at this hour. Sorry if I don't believe you." He glanced over at the hatch next to the stranger in his grasp. "Open it," he demanded.

The man looked as if he were about to protest but Elias wasn't taking no for an answer. "I said open it," he demanded one last time.

Scowling, the stranger relinquished. "Very Well."

Elias let go and gave him a bit of space but not enough for the man to pull a runner. Instead, he took an entirely different approach, he reached for his gun. A silenced 10 mm pistol, tucked in his waistband from behind. Before the guy could take aim, however, Elias grabbed hold and pushed back, keeping the barrel pointed to the sky.

"You shouldn't have done that, pal." Elias elbowed the man in the head, whose grip loosed allowing Elias to twist it away and cast it aside. "You're going to open the hatch, no funny business."

"Alright, alright." The suited man said, raising his hands. He turned his back to Elias and wrenched the hatch free.

Elias shoved him out of the way. His eyes widened and he nearly choked on his words. This was exactly what he dreaded. He turned to the man beside him with an expression that looked as if he were ready to take his head off. "Have you lost your mind?"

A fusion pulse charge was set in place over the control panel for the nuke. Rigged to explode with the slightest press of the detonator. What's worse was that the attempted bomber was completely blatant about the situation, thinly smiling at him.

"You'll never deactivate it in time."

"You, crazy bastard!" He withdrew his own 10 mm and pressed it to the man's head. "Why would you do this?! You'll kill all these people and for what? Money? Death and destruction?" He applied more pressure to the man's forehead with the point of his handgun, digging his fingernails into the skin of his fisted other hand to prevent him from lashing out. Never feeling so irate in his entire life.

The man rolled his eyes, not the least bit threatened, in contempt as if Elias was just a simple being and incapable of understanding. "A bit of both actually. It's just business, nothing personal. I don't think someone of your intellect would understand anyway. Now, step aside." The look on his face clinical. He didn't give two shits.

Elias narrowed his eyes. "Just Business? You're planning on nuking an entire town! You sadistic fuck!"

A cringe formed on the bomber's face and he wiped away saliva that Elias must've spat on his face.

 _Oh, there's more where that came from_

"Eli? Burke? It's four in the morning, what the hell is going on?" Lucas Simms called, coming down the hill with his AK-47 in his hands, the blond girl Elias had seen at the saloon early yesterdays' morning not far behind.

"Mister 'Burke' here has been tampering with the bomb!" explained Elias.

Burke scoffed. "Such nonsense. Please sheriff, tell this young man to let me go so I may be on my way." He grunted as Elias pushed him back against the bomb with more force this time. The cold numbness of the crisp morning air had ignited his ferocity and strengthened him tenfold.

With a raise of his brow, Lucas looked to the panel Elias had previously been standing in front of. When he noticed the charge, he heaved a cough. Even though he was likely unfamiliar with the technology he could surmise what purpose it served. His face paled slightly and he glared at Burke, absolutely livid. "I knew there was something wrong about you! I should never had let you in!"

Now was a little late for regrets.

Burke's face puckered, he looked like he was about to reply with some sarcastic response but instead he screamed, "We need to get out of here! My employer will activate it at any minute!"

Many citizens and settlers of Megaton, having awoken, were exiting their homes to see what all the commotion was about. Wiping sleep from their eyes as they watched intently from the catwalks of Megaton. Lucas' son had also run down to them to witness the drama unfold.

"What's the code?" Elias spat in Burkes face.

"I will never tell you, just let me go you little runt," he said trying to pry the kids hands off, though to no avail.

"If you don't, we all die. You included."

Sheriff Lucas Simms turned his attention to the onlookers. "Does anyone here know how to disarm this?" he called.

Settlers looked around at each other, hoping to find the one that was insane enough to volunteer. All too shocked an shaken to do much else.

Mister Burke remained silent.

Just as expected no one stepped forward. After a deep breath, Elias looked to the sheriff. "I can try," Elias volunteered, trying to put on a brave front though he was on the verge of wetting himself. "I have extensive knowledge of computers and I know enough about explosives to understand their basic features and functions." Enough was likely more than what anyone else around here knew.

Lucas hesitated. The dubious look on his face told the vault dweller everything he needed to know. Reluctantly, Lucas, nodded his head. Elias could understand his reaction, he had just passed a heavy burden onto a man he had just met. The fate of Megaton and everyone in it now rested on the shoulders of one man… who was barely a man.

Tossing Burke to the ground, Elias walked up to the panel and plugged his pip-boy in. Vault-Tec's Pip-Boy model 3'000 had some of the latest technology developed before the bombs dropped, and Elias and his father had been tinkering with their own wrist devices since Elias could even talk. He had a small amount of hope that these aspects would allow him to disarm something as complex as a nuclear warhead. It was the only hope they had. The panel on the bomb was able to have Elias' Pip-boy connected, so that was a good start.

Burke dropped to the ground, dirtying his once clean suit before getting back to his feet and about to run off when the sheriff push kicked him harshly into the gut, then planted his knee on the man's back when he fell, to prevent him from escaping.

After minutes of unscrewing the many panels, he reached into the web of wiring and electronics within the bombs casing. Sweat dripped down his face and his heart rate increased to a million beats per minute. This bomb was much more complicated than any old terminal. The doubt began to set in about whether or not he could disarm it. He hoped on the outside he was displaying any form of sangfroid, because that certainly wasn't the case with the inside. Deep breaths were the only ones he was taking as he clenched his fist around the wire cutters in his hand.

One of the lights began blinking and something made a beeping sound from within the bomb.

Lucas grunted and looked around, uncertain. "Is that, uh, supposed to happen?"

Tearing his eyes away from the bombs console, Elias nodded. "It's about to detonate, wipe out every building in a mile radius and kill us all… Yup, that's supposed to happen."

He cut the last wire and deactivated the nuke with the guidance of his Pip-boy but that pulse fusion charge would still be able to detonate this warhead since he wasn't able to remove the plutonium core. Which meant he still needed the code. He turned to Burke who was beneath the sheriff, practically biting his nails in trepidation.

"I need you to type in the code, Burke."

"Ha! Even if I wanted to, which I certainly don't, I wouldn't be able to with this oaf on top of me."

Lucas stood off him, allowing the man to get to his feet and brush the wasteland dirt and grime off his suit before shoving him over to the panel where Elias was.

Burke crossed his arms, glared at Lucas then snuck a glance up at the exit of Megaton. Likely calculating his odds of making it out.

Tempted to grab the man's head and slam it into the bomb, Elias growled. "Password, now."

"And why would I do that?"

"Why? Because that bomb will go off. Bomb goes off, we die. We die, you die."

The suit-adorned man stared at him, eyes narrow cold and hard. "Fine." He brought one hand up to the console, hesitated, then slowly typed in the code. The charged beeped then disabled and Burke looked as if he just watched his entire family die. "There, happy now?"

"Very." Elias nodded as Lucas came up behind Burke and bound his hands together with a length of rope.

"Sweet. Baby. Jesus." Elias let out the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding as he slumped down against the bomb, covered in sweat.

Everyone was silent for a few moments before Lucas kicked a hopeless Burke to his knees and moved to Elias. "Haha! I'll be damned, Ya' did it!" Lucas held out a hand to lift his saviour up, pulling him into a tight embrace before turning to the crowd that had formed. "He did it, everyone! He deactivated that thing!" he announced, excited.

Elias looked at him and couldn't help the huge smile that found its way onto his face. "For this kind of work, a guy deserves double time," he joked. He cocked his head round to glance at the bomb, that core would need to be removed if they wanted to prevent something like this from happening again. But really, that wasn't his problem.

Majority of the town cheered in unison. Apart from the Children of Atom and Moriarty. The cultists that worshiped the bomb were scowling and sneering from outside their church. The saloon owner simply stood outside his bar with an unreadable expression. Staring daggers down at the vault dweller. Other people rushed up to Elias, mobbing him and began to shake his hand or pat him on the back, some even asking for his autograph.

Lucas walked up to him with a teary-eyed smile. "You did a hell' of a job here today, I have your caps reward back at my house, just let me go get -" he started but Elias interrupted and declined politely,

"No thanks Lucas, I… didn't do it for the money."

The sheriff raised his brow in surprise. "Well that's mighty decent of you. But you need some type of reward for doing this shit. Hell, I'd love for you to move in, here's the key and deed to the empty house up by the entrance and no, you can't turn down the offer." Inviting him to move into town because he was helpful to have around.

Elias chuckled. "Thank you."

"No, _thank you._ "

* * *

 **Unknown's POV:**

Up on the platform outside the saloon, a mysterious stranger in a trench coat and fedora nodded in approval at the boy's deeds. He got an excellent view of the ordeal from the balcony. A slight smile slipped from the corner of his mouth, before he retreated into the shadows and disappeared…

 **Tenpenny's POV:**

Alistair Tenpenny smoked the last puff of his cigar before squishing it into his ashtray. He didn't rise from his cushy armchair. After all, when you're old and rich, why the hell would you? Just get a bunch of savages to do your chores for you.

"Open the briefcase," he ordered one of his tower guards with a slight wave of his hand.

"We are going to enjoy some magnificent fireworks tonight, my friends," he told his two mercenary leader guests. They remained watching the horizon with blank expressions, admiring the view. A small part of Alistair Tenpenny wanted these two to enjoy the display he had arranged for this time. But the reason he invited them was mainly to show them that he was not a force to be stifled with, should a contract of theirs ever fall under his or one of his allies' name. Of course, he doubted that, he was their best customer.

His clumsy guard fiddled with the latches of the briefcase before finally managing to get the damn thing open. The guard's eyes narrowed at the detonator displayed before him and he sent a quizzical glance in Tenpenny's direction. Alistair, being such the important person he was, couldn't be bothered wasting his breath on explaining such things to him.

His guests wouldn't be able to see the device set inside the briefcase as it was facing towards him, which was good. Based on how perceptive they were, he'd guess they would be able to identify it immediately and figure out his plan. But that'd ruin the surprise so he couldn't have that.

"You're dismissed, Rogers."

Rogers tried to protest, "But, sir-"

Tenpenny cut him off, "Ah, ah, ah. You're dismissed, get out of here."

The guard relented and nodded in part defeat and partly out of respect. "Of course, sir." He bowed before he spun round on his heels and marched through the double doors and into the tower.

Alistair gazed out into the distance like his guests. "Hmm, you think Mister Burke is out of that junkyard by now? It's almost dawn. I wouldn't want him to get caught in the _blast_ , he is such a reliable asset to me."

Commander Jabsco didn't respond but Daniel Littlehorn did, "What are you planning, Tenpenny? I'm still unsure of why you requested us here." His suspicion of the old tower owner was easily picked up, but Tenpenny doubted he was even trying to hide it. He could respect a man like him, he dressed formally and spoke well-manneredly. Unlike this Jabsco fellow.

Tenpenny merely smirked. "You'll see."

He reached forward and flicked the top switches, opened the glass encasing the shining red button and with one last glance out at Megaton in the distance, he slammed his fist down on that very detonation button.

The rich Englishman leaned back in his arm chair and grabbed his whiskey, taking a small sip before placing it beside the ashtray.

Nothing happened.

A frown creased his already wrinkled forehead. He pressed the button again. Nothing. A deep frustration welled inside him, he got up and began to look at something in the briefcase detonator.

 _The explosive you are attempting to trigger is currently deactivated, please reset before use of this detonator,_ the screen said.

"What?!" he croaked in anger.

"Is there a problem Mister Tenpenny?" Littlehorn questioned politely.

"Yes! If you don't mind I'm going to deal with it! Please vacate the premises. My guards will escort you out safely," he said dismissively with a slight wave of his hand. Not looking at them.

Daniel and Jabsco both left the balcony.

Burke had failed in his assignment. His first failure in his entire time in Tenpenny's employment. He'd like to hear the meaning of this. Whoever was responsible would pay…

* * *

 **Lucy's POV:**

Lucy had watched, in veneration and wonderment, as Elias risked his life to save Megaton. Intrigued, she eyed him as he tried to fend off many thanks and hearty backslaps. She felt herself warm slightly as butterflies fluttered madly inside her stomach… and she almost felt bad about what she was about to do. Almost.

When he was finally left alone, and on his way to the new house he acquired, she struck. Elias made it to his door and jiggled the keys, he stopped what he was doing when he heard her voice. "So, you're the one that disarmed the nuke," she said as if just noticing him.

He turned to her, his head tilted ever so slightly to the side like a dog would do when it was curious about something. "And you're the one that warned Lucas about Burke."

"You're also the one broke into Moriarty's place, aren't you?" A devilish grin formed on her face when she saw his eyes widen.

Taking a step back towards his door, he looked her over cautiously. "And you're also the one from the saloon, aren't you?" Her emerald eyes glimmered. She was flattered that he remembered her. Unfortunately, he ended their back and forth game there by asking, "Are you going to turn me in?"

The grin on her face turned to a smirk, knowing she had him wrapped around her little finger. Pretending to think for a brief moment, she came to a decision she already had planned for him the moment she laid eyes on him. "No… you'll be more use to me in… _other ways_ …"

"What _other ways_?"

"I need you to escort me somewhere." Oh, she loved the power she had over him.

Brow furrowed, "Where?", he asked.

She glanced over her shoulder, slightly nervous. They needed to go somewhere no one could eavesdrop. "We'll need to talk in private. Your house?" she questioned and walked in anyway.

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

Elias had been through a lot of shit this morning and this only pissed him off more.

The mysterious and annoying blond woman strolled into the living room of his new home. "Cosy little place, you've got here," she commented before heading over to what had to pass as the kitchen.

"Who are you exactly?" Elias asked, still standing in the doorway. This figure was truly interesting him to no end. She had obviously been spying on him. Which he found creepy. But the question was; why? Why had she taken an interest in him?

"Lucy West," she answered calmly, opening his fridge and taking out two bottles of Nuka Cola, setting a bottle down on the table for him and drinking from the other. She nodded at the other chair, gesturing him to sit down. But he didn't budge. She just shrugged off his refusal and keep drinking. "Close the door."

He did and took a few steps forward.

"You?" she then asked.

"Elias Hawke," he said before continuing with his questioning. He wasn't sure if it was a smart move revealing his real name to a person he'd just met that was also seemingly about to blackmail him but she seemed to be telling the truth about her own identity. "What was this about escorting you?"

She casually slumped down in one of the chairs. "I need you to take me to the Arefu settlement, my family lives there. I haven't heard from them in weeks and I'm worried sick."

The former vault dweller frowned. "You think something happened to them?"

"Well… no." She hesitated and visibly stiffened. "Maybe my letters just aren't arriving, but that's why I have to go see for myself." There was a determined glow in her green eyes.

Elias nodded, considering his options. She didn't seem like a real threat anymore now that he realised she was just concerned for her family's wellbeing. In all honesty, he would be also in her situation. And judging by how the people in Megaton had treated him so far, it also dawned on him that no one here would help her. The only friendly people here, like Lucas and Jenny, were tied to the place and wouldn't be able to just pack up and leave. He forgave her for indirectly threatening his life and decided he would help her, but only on his terms…

"Where is Arefu?"

"Northwest of Megaton on an old overpass over the Potomac. If you follow what's left of the river, you can't miss it."

"Hmm alright," he murmured to himself. "Do you know anything about Galaxy News?" Elias asked immediately after.

Lucy seemed surprised by the sudden change of subject but answered anyway. "Yeah, travelled to that area with a caravan last year. Run by a guy named Three Dog. It's a shame the signal was tampered with, now you can only hear his broadcasts from D.C, loved hearing that Disc Jockeys crazy stories," she said, sighing. Lucy averted from his suspicious gaze and stared at the door.

Elias nodded, satisfied. "Alright, I'll take you to Arefu and in return you take me to Galaxy News."

The blond jerked her head up and glanced at him in surprise. "I thought the deal was you take me to Arefu in return for me not reporting you," she stated, confused. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Sensing her intimidation over the man was waning.

Elias walked up to her. "I can tell you're not a snitch, besides I don't think you like Moriarty any more than I do," he said as he stepped up to her. His smile confident and somewhat sinister at the same time.

Taking her silence as a 'yes', "Excellent," he said as he clapped his hands together.

Lucy nodded in thought, not happy with the way this ordeal turned out but not exactly mad either. "Alright then, when do we leave?" She glanced up at him again.

"Now if possible, I broke Moriarty's terminal and I don't want to be here when he finds out."

Lucy laughed. "Of course, you did."

Both of them already ready, they were prepared to set out immediately. She had equipped herself with a sawed-off off shotgun, strange throwing knives that she had tucked in an ammo bandolier and a 10mm pistol. A messenger bang hung from the bandolier as well.

Elias barely even got a proper view of his home, he'd only had time to help the sheriff take Burke into custody. Apparently, from Lucas, Burke had been sneaking around late at night, scoping out the town for the two days he'd been here. He'd certainly proved a mysterious fellow.

Once they were outside, Elias said sarcastically, "C'mon let's get out of here before they start worshipping me." Looking around nervously as if he would get mobbed again at any moment.

Lucy smirked. "Lets."

As the two companions strolled up the dirt path to the front gates, they spotted a man in leather armour over an old black shirt and black army pants leaning against them. A thin scar struck over his left eye, an assault rifle over his shoulder and a cigarette in his hand. He looked like he was in his late 40's, a mostly bald head with a rough goatee.

As they edged closer the stranger stood up off the support of the gates and threw his cigarette butt on the ground, stomping on it and squishing.

"Where do you two think you're going?" he asked them in his gruff voice.

"Aref"- Elias began but was quickly shut up by Lucy violently nudging him in the shoulder with her elbow.

"None of your business, Jericho," she interrupted.

The gruff stranger's gaze shifted to her. "Oh, is it now?" He smiled crookedly at her. "Well that's where your wrong, cause I'm coming with you."

Lucy's eyes widened and she was about to protest against the idea but Elias held out a hand to stop her. "Why, exactly?" he asked sceptically. Why would this stranger want to wander off with them? Well technically Elias was wandering off with Lucy too…

"Yeah I know what you're thinking, traveling with a pampered vault asshole and a dumb blond isn't exactly my idea of fun, but you're both my only ticket out of here," he gestured the settlement.

Lucy's face puckered up in disgust and she extended her middle finger at him. "Dickhead," she mouthed, his crooked grin to only widened.

Ignoring the man's insults, Elias questioned further, "Why would you want to leave? This place seems perfectly safe to me." Then he remembered the bombing attempt just under an hour ago and quickly regretted such a comment.

"God, you ask a shit tonne of questions," Jericho muttered to himself. "I don't want 'safe', I want excitement. I can tell that you two are going on a little adventure and I want in," he said pointing an accusing finger.

Glaring at Jericho's finger, Elias considered his options. If he allowed this man to join them he'd have an extra gun, evening the odds when they encounter more fights. On the other hand, they'd have to put up with this attitude he was displaying right now. He hoped it was just temporary and reserved for his first encounters with people for some intimidation tactic or something and that he wasn't normally some cantankerous old curmudgeon that Elias would come to regret bringing along.

He decided he'd give Jericho a chance.

"Fine you can tag along with us, but don't get in our way." In the corner of his eye he spotted his female companion roll her eyes and cross her arms as did Jericho who then said,

"Whatever, kid, whatever."

* * *

Happy with the way things were turning out for him, Elias felt much safer in the company of two others that had grown up out here. He knew next to nothing about this place and was glad that these two had been enchanted by his charms to the point where they wished to accompany him on his journey.

Elias and Lucy walked side by side on the road to Arefu. Jericho was some meters ahead just out of earshot. As they walked Elias grew tired with each step, he'd never walked this much in his life. Besides, it had been a _very_ long day yesterday and he hadn't slept as much as he would've liked to. They only stopped to feed their hunger and quench their thirst.

Elias thought he'd strike up conversation to distract him from his exhaustion.

"So, uh, anything dangerous in the area around Arefu I should know to look out for?"

She looked over at him with an eyebrow raised. "Aside from the wasteland critters, slaver parties, raider hit squads and occasional landmine? Not at all, it's completely safe," she answered sarcastically. "If this was easy, I'd go by myself you know." Her face remained serious.

He nodded in agreement with her logic. "Who else lives in Arefu?"

There was a short pause as she took the moment to think. "Well there's Evan King, he's like mayor or whatever. Then there's my family, the Ewers and this lady who lives alone, Karen Schenzy." Answering with a hand supporting her chin.

"Oh, so it's quite a small settlement?" It wasn't really a question but Lucy replied anyway.

"There was more people a couple of years ago but eventually they just packed up and left," she said sadly, lowering her gaze to the dirt.

Elias squinted at her in suspicion. "Why did you leave?"

She hesitated and glanced up at him nervously, and she seemed to be pondering whether or not to tell him something but instead she looked away and at her feet. "That's ah… that's personal," she muttered, kicking dirt slightly as they walked, creating a miniature dust cloud at the duo's feet. Indicating she did not want to continue discussing the topic.

Deciding not to press he simply said, "I understand."

Along the way, he took out a bottle of his water that he snagged from the vault and unscrewed the lid, he was about to take a drink when Lucy said from beside him, "Is that clean?"

Confused, he looked over at her. "Huh?"

"That water," she said with a nod. "Is it clean?"

"Uh, yeah… why wouldn't it be?"

"What the hell?! Don't drink that! Purified water is more valuable than gold!" she exclaimed. He thought she was overreacting.

"Well, what else am I supposed to drink to keep hydrated?"

Lucy reached into her messenger bag. "This," she said, presenting another bottle.

Elias took it and held it up so that it was level to his face. He didn't like what he saw. "There's… _things_ … floating in this."

"You're going to have to get used to it if you want to survive out here. Best start now and build your immunity up. Save your clean water for emergencies."

Elias uncorked the cap for the dirtied water and gaged. "I'm probably going to contract at least fifty diseases from this and I'm blaming you." He held the bottle to his face again. "Bottoms up," he said and ingurgitated it, trying to get as much down without tasting it. It didn't quite work. The water burned at the back of his throat and wasn't sure he could ever get used to the sensation. "Yeah, I'm going to be sick."

"Oh, and one other thing, don't go flashing your clean water around either. Someone will shoot you in the back for it."

"Not you?"

Lucy adopted a thin smile. "We'll see."

"That's reassuring."

"Rule one for surviving in the wasteland: Trust No one..."

According to Elias' Pip-boy's map, they were halfway there when night fell. They stopped to rest for the night about fifty meters away from the road, between a large rock formation. They didn't set up a fire so that they wouldn't attract any unwanted attention. Which meant they'd have to eat dinner cold. This night, it was pork n beans. Elias grabbed three cans and passed them around.

"I scavenged some food from the old Super Duper Mart. Let's dig in."

Lucy sent him a questioning look as she accepted the can. "Super Duper Mart? I thought that was occupied by raiders."

Nodding in response, "It was. Not anymore though," he said, then he looked in at the contents of the slightly rusted can and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Wait, is that mould? How could anyone eat this filth?"

A chuckle escaped Lucy's lips. "It's not as bad as it looks."

Trusting her judgement, he took a sip and with horrified eyes, immediately spat it out.

Lucy laughed. "It's still pretty bad, though."

Jericho downed the lot in one gulp. "I'll take first watch," he volunteered like he was desperate to get as further away from them as possible, throwing the can over his shoulder before walking off somewhere into the darkness.

Shrugging off Jericho's abandonment, the other two used their bags as pillows and lay down in the dirt to rest. Lucy was pretty much accustomed to sleeping on the ground after years spent in the wastes but Eli struggled to get comfortable, shifting around and changing resting position every few seconds. Dirtying his jumpsuit in the process. Though, at this point he couldn't care less. After a hundred attempts he gave up and sighed loudly up to the sky in deep dissatisfaction.

"We've been talking about me and my home all day, I want to hear about you and yours," the blond said from his side, sipping from her can.

He sighed inwardly, expecting this. He gave her a sideward glance. "What would you like to know?" Also downing a chunk of his food and sticking his tongue out at the horrible taste of radiation. He thought about throwing his can away but his stomach practically begged him to swallow more.

"What was it like, living in the vault with all your needs tended to?" she asked like it was a serious question.

He chuckled and cast his eyes skyward up into the night atmosphere that remained sombre and completely starless, as if looking for the answer to her query. It seemed everyone outside the vaults believed they were luxurious sanctuaries, well, compared to _this_ you could hardly blame them but Elias didn't see it that way. For him the Vault was just a glorified prison while the wastes represented his… liberty. "It was nice, I guess. I did have all I needed, food, _water,_ a clean place to sleep at night, everything really… except… my freedom," he stuttered as if just realising something, the usual friendly smile he wore faded from his face as he pondered, still watching the blank darkness of the sky above.

* * *

A memory from his days as a seventeen-year-old surfaced:

 _"_ Do you ever wonder what's it's like out there?" Amata asked him. Propped up on his bed with her legs crossed. He glanced up at her with a perplexed expression distorting his handsome features. Her question filtered into his mind.

"Out there? You mean out in the wasteland?" he asked back. Sitting on the floor, leaning against the metal frame of his bed. This was their typical study position when they did so together at his quarters.

Amata nodded in thought. "Yeah, like, I want to see what's out there. My father rants about how there's only death and destruction to greet us. But I want to experience it for myself."

Fascinated by what she was saying, Elias looked back up at her. Of course he had wondered the same things. The life he led in the vault was dull and tedious, he absolutely despised it. The concept of the Outside, something more than the vault, had always been intriguing for him. However, the revelation that Amata shared similar views astounded him and he engrossed himself in her words. They often did have deep, meaningful discussions with each other about the most random topics.

"Why?" he questioned simply, wanting her to elaborate.

She gazed up at the light on the ceiling on his bedroom. "The vault has its perks but I want to open my options more. Go out and explore, possibly even interact with the outsiders. You know?" she said, losing herself in her wild imagination.

Elias looked at the door, a slight smile made its way onto his face.

"I know exactly what you mean."

* * *

Lucy frowned, confounded. "Your freedom?" She looked at him with a bemused expression.

Eli nodded. "I only just realised it after being out here but well, we weren't allowed to leave even though others before us did and we were lied to our whole lives about it."

"Wow," she muttered in disbelief. Turning to him once again, Lucy asked, "Why did you leave?"

He looked over at her and smirked despite his sorrow. "That's personal."

Lucy smirked too and punched him playfully on the arm. "You're an asshole."

"So I'm told," he shrugged, shifting his gaze to the night sky above for a second time.

"No really, why did you leave?"

Elias bit his lower lip to prevent it from quivering and his face puckered. "My father… he… escaped from the Vault. The Overseer didn't take it too well and… ah, so I had to leave as well." He sighed. He was now missing Amata. Badly. "Now, I'm out here to find him."

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that." A silence drifted between them to allow everything to sink in. "So… ah… got anyone special in the vault?" she asked after a while. Curiosity seemed to have gotten the better of her. Others would think she was being to presumptuous but Elias didn't mind that much.

He eyed her suspiciously, as if attempting to figure out where she was going with this. He noticed that she had shifted closer to him for some reason but thought nothing of it. "Apart from my father, my closest friend was _Amata,_ " he said hesitantly, awaiting her reaction.

A moment of silence passed.

Lucy assumed 'Amata' was female. "Were you two ever… together?"

He smiled crookedly, now he knew. "No… to be honest I did have a _thing_ for her but… I don't know, never got the chance to act upon it I guess." He decided to leave out the part about his _moment_ with Amata before he escaped, for Lucy's sake.

In his peripheral, he spied Lucy smiling dorkily from beside him...

* * *

They reached their destination without any trouble. The overpass could be seen a couple of hundred meters away from their position.

"Look there it is!" Lucy West said excitedly, pointing up at the small town. She began to pick up the pace, bursting into a spontaneous run, frenetically sprinting ahead of her companions.

"C'mon hurry up!" she called over her shoulder gleefully. Elias chuckled and ran as soon as she got far. Jericho grumbled but reluctantly jogged after them.

When Elias caught up to her, he immediately knew something was wrong. Lucy stood frozen in place by a corrugated iron house, looking at something nearby. He walked up behind her, finding that she was staring inside a small Brahmin pen. Inside that lay three rotting two-headed cow corpses, flies buzzed around, feeding off of them. The foul odour assaulted their nostrils. It looked like they had starved to death.

Jericho stood next to her and placed his hands on the pen's fence, when he realised what they were staring at, he snorted flippantly in amusement.

Elias shot him a death stare. Jericho raised hands up in mock surrender with a smirk. Eli ignored him and gaped up at the town. He couldn't detect any activity. The place looked completely abandoned, but he knew better than judging too quickly.

"No, no, no…" Lucy trailed off when she noticed the town. She shook her head as she carelessly made her way up the ramp to the overpass, boards were put in place where there were large sections missing, not unlike the set up in the Super Duper Mart's aisles. Elias followed after her.

 **Lucy's POV:**

Lucy trudged faster ahead of him, getting impatient, she passed the makeshift sandbag barricade and continued into the seemingly deserted, forlorn settlement. To the left side of the overpass were conjoined shacks of the Ewer and Schenzy families while at the back sat her parents' and Evan King's house. They were made of rotted wood and scrap corrugated iron sheets. Lucy paid them no mind and continued to gaze around, searching hopelessly for any sign of life when she heard Elias call from behind,

"Lucy… you might want to see this…"

Lucy groaned in frustration and stomped around, irked and troubled by the turn of events. She gasped when she saw a body laid in a puddle of dried blood before Elias vault boots. He looked to her nervously. "That's not exactly… welcoming," he stated, then gazed back down uncertainly.

Lucy stepped back and shook her head. That was Evan King, the town's only guard and mayor. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

 _This can't be happening,_ she thought. It was like the beginning of a bad dream.

She glanced back at her parent's shack, towards the back edge of the town. "C'mon, my parents live up ahead," she called back to her newfound friend. Elias nodded and followed after her.

"Mom, Dad it's me, Lucy! Open up!" she called in desperately, knocking repeatedly on the closed door then waiting.

No Reply.

Lucy sucked in a breath. She gripped the handle and pulled down. Unlocked.

Slowly opening the door, she poked her head inside. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head at what she saw. Lucy dropped to her knees and choked on her words before she began sobbing in the doorway, her face in her hands. "I knew I should never have left, I knew it! This is all my fault!" Her worse nightmares, anxieties and apprehensions now reality...

Elias came up behind her, noticing why she reacted in tears his eyes widened and he exhaled sadly.

In the shack were the bodies of Lucy's parents, one sprawled on the floor and one hanging off the bed.

Elias put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, concern written all over his features. She gazed up at him through tear filled eyes. She rose slowly to face him, then before he could even blink, Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight embrace. She buried her face in his neck, crying uncontrollably as he uncertainly returned the hug. He rubbed her back softly and comfortingly. She trembled under his touch and sniffled.

Finally, after a few minutes, Lucy drew her head back to face him again but kept her hands around his neck, her eyes wet from tears. She let go of him and stepped back. "Thank you," she whispered. He nodded, indicating that he understood. Suddenly, she stepped forward again and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

As she walked off, Elias watched, placing a hand on the spot on his cheek where her lips touched. _Uh oh._

Elias needed to find out what had killed Lucy's parents. Reluctantly he headed inside, it stunk worse than the cow pen. The pervasive smell of shit, piss and rotting meat that hadn't been aired out since the shack was shut up so tight. He tugged the collar of his jumpsuit up to his nose in an attempt to block the stench. Closing the door behind him.

The corpses were a mix of ashen white as if drained of all the life and a sickly greenish-blue colour. The hair, skin and nails were so loose they could be easily pulled of the corpses, the skin had burst opened in many places. They had been here a least a few weeks. The bodies looked like they had been bitten by an animal on the neck but there wasn't as much blood as there should be given the circumstances. The bed was clean and the floor had enough blood for a deep cut but it definitely wasn't enough. They obviously didn't bleed to death. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

He studied the bite marks, they looked _human._ Was he dealing with a cannibal?

He then examined the layout of the shack. The bookcase next to the door was on the floor; its books laying around, he looked at the books. No blood marks. The bookcase was tipped after the parents were killed.

On the wall, written in dried blood was "The Family". So maybe an entire group of cannibals?

Elias then looked at and around the window and door, no sign of forced entry. The attacker was allowed entrance.

 _Doesn't Lucy have a brother?_ Elias thought, recalling previous conversations he had with her. He exited the shack and took a deep breath of fresh air.

Lucy was seated on a pile of rubble, her head buried in her knees. Elias frowned and sat beside her. He placed a comforting arm around her and pulled her into his side. "Hey," he said simply.

Lucy lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes were still wet with tears. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with her shoulder. "I know you only agreed to take me to Arefu… but please you have to help me find my brother, Ian," Lucy implored, she suppressed her sobs as she awaited his response.

Elias expressed a soft smile. "Of course."

Lucy looked at him shocked. "What…? Just like that?" she asked, astonished.

Elias smiled wider. "Just like that." He shrugged and lifted her up by her arm.

Jericho waltzed out from a house in front of them like he owned the place and threw something over his shoulder. "I never find anything valuable in these dumps," he grumbled and booted a tin can. "Are we leaving?" he asked, clearly bored with the current situation.

Elias thought for brief moment. "Did you find any survivors… or maybe any dead?" Elias asked him.

Jericho shook his head. "Nah looks like the place was abandoned then ransacked by raiders," he said apathetically gazing around the overpass.

With a nod of his head in deep though, Elias then turned to Lucy. "Any idea where Ian might be?"

Lucy nodded and walked to the edge of the overpass. She pointed at something below, a small boat shed down by the river. It had a collapsed jetty out front and a few sunken boats could be seen from their position.

"He used to go there to… blow off steam," Lucy said hesitantly.

Elias noticed she was holding something back but decided not to push. He turned to her and Jericho.

"Then that's where were headed."

* * *

The three companions trudged down the road and towards the bank of the Potomac. When they reached the edge Elias instantly dropped to one knee and hovered his pip-boy arm over the murky water. It ticked rapidly. Elias drew his hand back and regarded his pip-boy for a moment. 2 rads per second it read.

Jericho came up behind him and scoffed. "Ugh, it's obviously going to be irradiated, smart guy. Everything is." And within the blink of an eye Jericho dropped his assault rifle and removed his leather shirt and ammo belts, casting them aside. Elias cringed and looked away as Jericho dove into the water, splashing him purposely. Eli rolled his eyes.

Standing up and pursing his lips in thought, Elias studied the other side of the river. The shack was smaller than the houses in Arefu. He gazed around at the boats outside, they were all rusted hunks of scrap metal now. He noticed that there were also canoes stacked on a rack against the shack as well. He was brought out of his train of thought by Jericho who had reached the other side of the river and was shaking himself off.

Lucy sighed haggardly. She glided along the edge till she came to a half sunken boat in front of the jetty, gracefully she leaped upon it as if she were a trained dancer and balanced herself before jumping to the jetty swiftly as if she'd done it a million times already. She looked to Elias who was completely spellbound in awe by her unexpected display of agility.

He noticed that she had realised he was staring and his face shaded, embarrassedly he followed after her.

Elias took a deep breath and bounced on to the boat. It wobbled a bit before returning to normal. Elias then threw his bag to Lucy who caught it and dropped it at her feet. Shifting his weight and ready to pounce upon the jetty, the movement caused the boat to creak beneath him and tilt to the side. The vault dweller waved his arms about, trying to regain his footing when he slipped and fell to the water with a yell that died into nothingness as it was replaced with a splash.

Jericho, who was standing next to Lucy, began a hysterical laughing fit. Lucy didn't find it amusing at all, her face remained glazed and unreadable. She retrieved a paddle of a pre-war canoe and dunked the blade in the water for her young friend to grab onto.

Elias spluttered when he surfaced, spitting out the brackish water he had inhaled, disgusted. Letting his friends know just how unhappy he was by the glower he sent Jericho who was pointing and chortling at him in amusement, bent over and grasping his stomach.

Floating towards the jetty, he felt something brush over his leg. He tensed and kicked forward in alarm hurriedly. He reached for the paddle and gripped onto it, beginning to lift himself up when something grabbed his ankle roughly and pulled him down.

He held a firm grip onto the paddle for dear life but Lucy obviously wasn't ready for the new addition to weight because it sprung free from her hands and plummeted into the water along with him.

Her eyes widened, she bounded to the edge of the jetty and peered into the water below, murky as it was she couldn't see anything. Jericho stopped laughing and cast her a bemused expression before realising what had happened.

The drowning former vault dweller kicked desperately but the more he struggled the more the grip tightened around his leg, he felt it digging into his flesh like some type of claw… _Claw…_

It was a claw, he grunted in fright and looked downcast through the water. Sure enough, the most grotesque mutated creature was dragging him down to the river bed. He gasped, his remaining air leaving him through bubbles. The eerie creature looked like some type of crab, large pincers and multiple thin legs with a large shell over its back.

Elias swung the paddle he still had hold of down below him, the water slowing the movement drastically. The blade hit the mutant in the face, not exactly harming it but startling it nonetheless. Its grip loosened on Eli's leg, allowing him to kick his legs, propelling him upwards to the surface with the loss of his boot.

"I'm going in," Lucy said suddenly, still glancing uncertainly over the edge.

Jericho chuckled. "Sure, if you want to die too" he agreed sarcastically.

She scowled at him furiously. "Why do you have to be such a dickhead?"

As Jericho wryly shrugged at her, Elias emerged from the water gasping for air. He continuously smacked the water in a vicious attempt to swim. Jericho squeezed his eyes shut and groaned, he knew he would have to rescue him and honestly disliked the idea of endangering himself as well but to his surprise Lucy jumped in.

Lucy gripped the old wooden boards of the jetty to stable herself and clutched onto Eli's arm, pulling him through the water towards her. They embraced and climbed up onto the platform on their hands and knees, dripping wet.

"Are you alright?" Lucy questioned.

Elias looked up at Lucy and flashed an exhausted grin. "I nearly drowned-"

"Don't," she warned, cutting him off.

"The experience was breathtaking."

And Lucy pushed him back in.

Jericho narrowed his eyes at them before he scoffed. "Fuckin' kids."

Elias and Lucy entered the shack, leaving a splotchy wet trail in their wake, while Jericho stood guard outside in case the crab decided to attack again. Elias' wound was jabbed with a stimpak and wrapped in bandages, when he finished he fished his boot back out of the water. Once he was done he entered the shack first, remaining completely silent. He stiffened as chills ran up his spine but Lucy didn't seem to notice as she began talking,

"Ian used to come here for alone time, I'm not sure if he's…" Lucy trailed off as her eyes met her brothers…

Dead, glassy eyes stared daggers at the vault dweller and his companion. Lucy's brother dead corpse was hanging by fishing wire around the neck.

Lucy didn't blink, her gaze was set straight into her deceased brothers and would not falter.

Eli's face softened, he searched Lucy's expression for any sign of emotion but could find none. She remained devoid, staring blankly ahead as if into another world. He shifted his weight uncomfortably in the eerie silence.

Ian had obviously committed suicide by hanging himself. Though the question was, why? Elias had qualms of his own but need more proof to back them up. He unsteadily limped his way towards Ian carcass. Examining him, questioning his motives.

The body was dangling before the counter of the shack, racks with fishing rods and other equipment were placed against the wall untidily. Upon the counter lay a scrap of paper and an inch left of a pencil. Hands shaking, he lifted the note to his face and read,

 _To whoever finds this,_

 _My name is Ian and I have done terrible things. I have attacked and killed wastelanders, residents of my home town and even my own parents. I_ _ **ate**_ _them. I am a monster. A cannibal. I couldn't control the fucking hunger that has overwhelmed me, my entire life._

 _I couldn't live with myself, so I'm leaving this world._

The suicide note slipped from Eli's hands as he read the last words. His mouth was agape as he stared in incredulity. He had no words, no words at all. The wasteland was full of surprises. He looked to Lucy who was now on her knees mumbling something incoherent. Elias limped back over to her.

"C'mon there's nothing for us here," he said, offering his hand to her. She gazed up at him longingly as if she were staring straight through him. But she took his hand shakily and managed to get to her feet.

As Elias opened the wooden door to the shack Jericho was pinned roughly against the wall by another crab creature, right next to the door. Jericho had grip of the carpus of the mutant's arms, struggling to keep the pincers from gnashing at him. "Fuckin' Mirelurks!" he grunted before bellowing in agony as one of the legs scratched down his torso to his own leg. "Fuckin' kids bringing me here!

Elias jumped back in surprise, nearly knocking Lucy. He equipped his rifle and aimed at the shell. He fired multiply times, the bullets penetrated but obviously didn't inflict much damage, only infuriating the crab further. A panicked expression crossed his face as he lousily fumbled with the bullets to reload.

The loudness of the gunshots seemed to snap Lucy back to reality because she staggered back and shook her head, dazed. She saw the creature stop attacking Jericho and turn its attention to Elias, she clumsily backed into the now shut door to the shack, seeking shelter inside when she remembered why she left… her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. She stopped and just stood, back against the door staring at the planks of wood beneath her feet.

"Aim for the face," Jericho gasped as he collapsed to his knees, languid. Something clattered out of a pocket as he dropped to the ground.

Blue eyes widened as the creature scrambled after Elias, he dodged swiftly to the side just as it lunged at him with its chelipeds. Panting, he jumped back in recoil as the crab attempted to swipe at him, just grazing his arm. The vault dweller switched into VATS as the crab lifted its face up to see, he targeted the vulnerable tissue three times. The softshell mirelurk let out a blood curdling scream to the heavens before dropping to the deck with a loud thump. Its blood seeped out from underneath the carcass. Elias grimaced and stepped away as it made contact with his boot.

His eyes swept to Jericho who was bleeding a few meters ahead. The vault dweller rushed to his side. Grabbing a stimpak from his first aid kit, he shoved it into the fallen man's chest. Jericho shrugged him off with a swiping gesture. "Leave it, I'm fine," he whispered stubbornly before wincing in pain at the motion.

Sighing, Elias stood back up when his eyes met the object which had fallen from his person. In one prompt movement, he collected it of the ground and studied it in the palm of his hand. His brow furrowed as he frowned in bewilderment. "What's this?" he asked austerely, though it was more of an interrogation.

Jericho's eyes broadened in alarm when he noticed the familiar device, they shifted side to side nervously before meeting those of Elias. "Nothing..." he muttered.

Elias didn't buy it. He shoved it in Jericho's face, "This is a tracking device, is it not?" he questioned rhetorically. "Why do you have it?"

Jericho pushed himself back up to stand before his companion, hoping to gain leverage with his towering height. Though, Elias wasn't troubled by it in the slightest.

"My employer likes to know where I am when I'm away," Jericho answered like Elias should know already.

Narrowing his eyes, he scrutinized Jericho for any sign of untruthfulness. Though the older man was glaring at him, Elias noticed that he was nervous.

"I would like to meet this employer of yours," he said at last. Still unconvinced. "Let's move before more of these… things show up," Eli continued, he threw the small tracker to Jericho before turning abruptly to Lucy and frowned once again.

The female in the group's eyes were set downcast, staring at the decayed wood of the deck as she brooded over the loss of her entire family. Elias realised that a light had died in her eyes. Her face no longer carried a brisk smile, it remained completely blank. Expressionless.

She wasn't here anymore, she was somewhere else…


	4. Chapter 4: GNR and the Knights of Steel

**Shoutouts: KyloRen123456 and PresidentCarter 2x. Cheers on the reviews guys! :D**

 **Time to meet the Brotherhood.**

* * *

Chapter 4: GNR and the Knights of Steel

The small squad followed the Potomac River towards the direction of the Super Duper Mart. The atmosphere between them was tense. Ever since Lucy had discovered her deceased family and Jericho's suspicious tracker was found, they both seemed aloof. Lucy was especially distant, taking up a haggard appearance and only continuing with them lethargically so. It felt like they were dragging their feet along.

They came into view of the bridge next to the Mart as the three clomped down the road.

Elias sighed inwardly, sensing deep sorrow for what he felt were his failures. He glanced at his friends, his lips parted as if to say something but his words never came. Instead, were replaced with a scream of agony as a bullet punctured his shoulder guard, forcing him backwards to the ground.

Lucy shot him a glance, bemused. She gasped when she saw the hole in his shoulder pad and dropped next to him. Looking up at the bridge, she observed a glint of steel in the afternoon light. Her eyes widened, instantly grabbing hold of her fallen partner. She dragged him behind a fence to a ruined house and roughly pulled off his backpack to search for the med kit. At the same time, Jericho engaged in a firefight with the attacker.

Guessing it was just some lone marauder desperate for supplies and knowing Jericho could handle it, Elias ignored the fight and looked up at Lucy, concern written all over her features. "Did it pierce your skin?" she asked.

He shook his head. "The pad stopped it. Still hurt like a bitch though," he said with a laugh. "Thanks for your concern." With that, he took her hand and stood up.

The gruff older man in their party sprayed his weapon mercilessly but since he was quite a distance away, his weapon did very little as his aim was completely off. "I need to get closer," Jericho announced as he gave them a hasty sidewards glance. "Cover me!" And without a second to waste he scooted forward in a crouching position towards the lone shooter.

Grabbing round his rifle, Elias aimed down his sights and began to tread after Jericho. All the while Lucy remained at his side, shotgun in hand.

The attacker was hurriedly reloading their sniper rifle when out of nowhere something latched onto his neck and bit down, tearing out his vocal cords. The raider dropped onto the railing of the bridge before flipping over and plummeting into the river below, his rifle falling closely behind.

Caution stopped Jericho in his tracks when he noticed the body drop off the bridge.

Elias continued past him though, rifle still aimed. He made it to the bridge and gazed around. A black and white, medium sized dog was standing in the middle, its head tilted to side staring at him inquisitively. His frown faded and was replaced with a smile when he caught sight of it. He shouldered his rifle and slowly proceeded towards the canine, careful not to provoke it. When he was but a meter before it he crouched down and smiled.

"Here boy," he encouraged, waving his hands, gesturing the dog to come to him.

The dog's head tilted ever so slightly more as he placed an uncertain paw in front of the other. When he was within arm's reach, Elias patted his head and scratched him behind the ears. The dog's head leaned into Eli's hand as his tail wagged happily.

"Good boy." Casting a quick once over of the animal's face, Eli noticed he had both a blue and dark brown eye plus his ears were half-erect. Both features unusual.

"How do you know it's a boy?" Lucy asked softly from somewhere behind him.

Elias turned his head to her. "Uh the penis?" he turned back to the dog, "See?" he said wryly. Shit eating grin stretched across his face

With a roll of her eyes, "Never mind," she mumbled.

His hand ran through the hound's thick coat. It was a sheepdog. White around the nose with a white line through the centre of his face. Its chest was also white as well its socks and tip of the tail. The rest of the fur was a dark shade of black.

The dog's ears perked up and his head turned to look behind him. He barked and began to madly dash across the bridge.

Frowning, Elias took off in pursuit.

The dog sprinted off the bridge and up the hill, the same way the trio had been headed. At the top off the hill the dog halted and lay down. Elias quickly joined up and his expression softened sorrowfully when he became aware of why the dog had bolted away so unexpectedly.

The forlorn dead body of a roving trader was lying on the road surrounded by three raider corpses. He looked to the dog that seemed to be mourning this person.

"Is that your old owner?" Elias asked, not really anticipating an answer but the dog seemed to bow its head in a nod.

"Do you want to come with me, boy?" he questioned, feeling sorry for the lonely hound. Its ears perked up, he barked and then wagged his tail excitedly.

Elias smiled in response. "I'll take that as a 'yes' then."

At the base of the hill, Lucy and Jericho were running up. When they reunited Jericho groaned. "Please don't tell me we're bring that piece of meat with us. It would be more useful to us as our dinner."

Elias appeared offended by the comment. "Yes this _piece of meat_ _ **is**_ coming with us. Whether you like it or not, and we're not eating him," he grumbled, then something popped into mind. "That reminds me, we'll need a name for you, boy. Don't we?" he said addressing the canine. Elias knelt down and scratched under his chin. "How do you like the sound of Dogmeat?" he asked sarcastically, grinning.

The dog's tail wagged faster as he panted.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him, "Dogmeat?" she spat, as if it were some unfunny joke, "Don't be such an asshole."

Elias' grin broadened. He rose from his kneeling position and clapped his hands.

"Dogmeat it is!"

* * *

 **Jericho's POV:**

The group took shelter in the nearby metro tunnel entrance for the night. The place looked like it had been occupied recently, most likely by the raiders they found on the bridge. Two sleeping bags were laid out on the ground behind a low wall of cinderblock. Along with a small supply of food. Boxes of dandy boy apples and three full nuka cola bottles were stacked next to one another by the bedrolls.

Jericho pushed the screeching gates to the metro shut with a grunt. He dusted his hands together in an effort to clean them before turning to the others.

"This is one of the only safe ways to GNR from outside DC," he stated half-heartedly, walking past them. He scratched his beard as he searched for a place to rest, knowing full well that the other two would claim the sleeping bags. Though it wasn't like he wanted to sleep in the fart sacks in the first place.

Perplexed, Eli cast him a questioning look. "How do you know we're heading to GNR? I only remember telling you we were going to DC," he commented in open suspicion. Jericho could feel Elias' gaze piercing into his soul from behind, just like he did at the boat shack.

Jericho didn't turn to face him, instead he stood with his back to them in an attempt to hide his alarmed expression. Had he just blown his cover?

He heard the kid take a step forward. "Jericho?" he inquired after a moment in silence.

Spinning round abruptly, "I figured it out myself," was his curt reply, staring back at Elias coldly before turning round once again. Hoping the vault dweller would just drop the subject, he walked up to an empty fire pit barrel and began to throw in the scraps of rubbish that littered the floor of the metro, so that they could burn it for light and heat.

"How?" Elias inquired. Sensing something afoot. He made eye contact with Lucy who just shrugged before patting Dogmeat affectionately.

With his one good eye twitching, he flinched at the young vault dwellers incessant enquiring. It reminded him of that annoying Hardon kid of Lucas'. Always asking, the questions never ceased. With these types of people, he wished they would relinquish a bit on the badgering.

"Does it really matter, Kid?!" Jericho bellowed. Pumping his fists down in exasperation, with his back still facing them. Both hands clenched into fists, he scrunched the box that he was holding and dumped it into the barrel.

That seemed to get him to back off.

Jericho pulled out a lighter and set alight the trash in the barrel. "I'm going to scout ahead," he muttered before stomping off.

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

The last thing they heard was his assault rifle and the screams of dyeing molerats before it became silent once more.

With a scoff, Elias made his way over to the sleeping bags and shook one violently before dragging it closer to the entrance. He returned back to the other to take a Nuka Cola and took a hasty sip before he lay on his bedroll with his hands behind his head and his leg over the other in a sun bathing position, he almost looked peaceful… if it weren't for the major frown on his face. Elias glared at the ceiling above him, daring it to come falling down to crush him, aggrieved with the outcome of his last conversation with the grizzled older man in their party.

Lucy considered him for a bit and decided to walk over to him, standing at his feet. She frowned grimly as well. Her fingers fidgeted nervously and she kept her gaze lowered so that she was just staring at his boots. She looked like she was about to say something but quickly shut her mouth and said something else.

"Look… I'm gunna go. Jericho obviously knows where GNR is so you don't really need me… anymore," she mumbled hesitantly glancing up at him to study his reaction. Her gaze moved to their newfound canine companion that was curled up comfortably by the fire barrel.

Elias immediately jolted upright and looked at her incredulously. "Please tell me you're joking."

She shook her head sadly. "No, I'm serious," she continued, "Goodbye Eli," she said. Her voice had cracked, practically dripping with remorse. He wondered how long she had been contemplating this over.

Before she could even think about walking out the metro, Eli jumped nimbly to his feet. He shook his head in reprimand. "No, please stay," he implored, "You're the only friend I've got out here," he admitted sadly, placing both his hands on Lucy's upper arms. She looked at them and inhaled sharply. "Besides, where would you go? Moriarty knows you were with me, if you return to Megaton, there will be hell to pay." His eyes stared pleadingly into hers.

She looked away, unable to meet his gaze. "I… don't know…" she said at last. "I just… need to get away. There's no one left for me now." Elias could see the pain and dejectedness in her eyes.

The former vault dweller furrowed his brow in anger that she could not see something that was right in front of her. "I'm here for you!" he retorted vehemently.

With that said, she instantly looked at him, shocked and astounded, on the verge of tears. Her emerald gaze locked longingly onto his sapphire one. She had not been expecting that reply from him. The blond shook her head slowly. "I… I don't know what to say…" she stuttered, with a certain unsureness about it. Clearly surprised and irresolute on how exactly to respond.

Elias' frustration with her diminished in an instant, he sat back down and gestured her to join him. "Want to talk about it?" He offered her the open Nuka-Cola.

Lucy stared down at him before nodding her head and accepting the drink. She opened up about... everything regarding the incident at Arefu, really. Her family, specifically her brother. She knew he possessed cannibalistic tendencies, but had no idea he was capable of killing off the entirety of the Arefu settlement.

"The first instance… we were playing around the boat shack that we… found him in. I think I was twelve at the time, he was nine. All of a sudden these raiders show up, hoping to take us hostage then ransom us back to our parents or something. When one tried to grab me… Ian ripped the man's throat out with his teeth! My god... he looked feral! I hardly even recognised him!" She exclaimed, reliving the disturbing nature of this memory. After a moment of silence, she proceeded, "The other raiders ran off. We didn't know what to do so we didn't tell anybody. You're the only other person that knows," she said warily, looking at him for a moment. Silently ushering him to keep this disclosed. "He was able to resist the temptation while I was in Arefu so maybe it was just once I left…" uttered Lucy who drifted into deep thought.

Gingerly, Elias placed a hand on her shoulder. "You said you travelled with a caravan last year, but the bodies at Arefu looked much to recent for this to have happened then," he pronounced, trying to figure it out.

Lucy locked eyes with the confused young man as she elucidated, "Yeah, I took a job as a caravan guard. The route they took had Arefu down as one of their stops, which meant that I'd be back in Arefu each month."

The wastelands idea of a caravan was a trading operation, consisting of wasteland merchants looking to sell their goods, caravan guards to protect them and a Brahmin or two to carry the merchandise. Generally, they trudged across the entire wasteland to get to different settlements. Lucy had told him of this on their trip to Arefu. She had not, however, told him that she was a guard so he assumed she just tagged along like she did with him, he didn't think she was getting paid.

"Once I saved up enough caps, I brought the house in Megaton to settle down. I still did the odd job here and there with the caravans but once the majority of Arefu's resident left, the caravans stopped dropping by so my visits were less and less frequent."

That did make sense to Elias. Lucy's presence must've helped Ian keep in check. From what she had already told him, the two must've been pretty close. Such a loss was devastating. He didn't want to dwell on that with Lucy so instead he decided to lighten the mood.

"It's hard to imagine you as a caravan guard," he commented, leaning back against the concrete wall.

She glanced up at him, slightly surprised. "What? How so?"

He looked towards the entrance as a smirk found its way onto his face. "It's probably best if I keep my mouth shut," was his reply when his eyes levelled with hers once more.

Lucy's head tilted to the side slightly as she attempted to read him, and Elias couldn't help but find the gesture adorable. "Then it's probably best if I don't know, lest you have your ass kicked," she riposted, with a lopsided grin.

"Precisely."

* * *

As night dawned upon them, Elias heard the faint and almost undetectable soft pitter-patter of rain showering lightly upon the ground outside. He was tempted to run out the metro to witness perhaps the first ever rainfall he'd experienced in life. Perhaps… but since Lucy was huddled against him, her arm draped lazily over his chest, he couldn't get up without disrupting her from precious sleep. So instead he lay next to her, gazing in yearning out the gates, trying to get a better view of what rain actually looked like.

He pondered whether or this was his first encounter with precipitation. Had it rained when he was born? After all he was born in the wasteland. He'd have to ask his father. But would his father even tell him the truth? Especially after the lies he'd told his son for Elias' entire life. Eli sighed heavily, he thought himself pathetic in that moment. Doubting his father, the most brilliant person in his life.

Lucy stirred from beside him and he stopped shifting. Coming to the conclusion that he too would get some much needed rest.

* * *

 _Elias glanced around frantically, his eyes searching the unrecognisable place he found himself now. He tried to move but couldn't, he was glued in place. He looked up from his frozen feet and peered ahead. He was staring into some steel and glass dome. He squinted to make out the figures inside, some were wearing bulky armour that he couldn't identify. He realised that they were flanking a man in a fancy looking coat who was conversing with another man inside, but he couldn't make out exactly what was said. When he narrowed his eyes further he recognised the man as his father…_

 _He began to call out to him, yelling his name. But nothing came out. He was mute._

 _Frowning, he looked to the side and realised he was within a rotunda. He didn't recognise that either._

 _Elias was drawn back to the commotion before him by a loud gunshot bang. He peered inside the dome once again and saw a scientist lying dead next to one of the soldiers in black armour._

 _His father hesitated before typing something on a console beside him. As he typed the last digit, the rotunda shook with an earthquake. Something was being poured into the activation room and everyone inside began to choke and cough uncontrollably._

 _Once again Elias tried to call out to his father but to no avail. His father limped up to the pane of the glass, clutching his stomach and mouthed the words:_ "Run my son, Run!"

* * *

Elias gasped for air as he awoke from sleep with a start, like he thought he was drowning. Panting, out of breath with sweat running down his back. He looked up unsteadily, trying to identify his surroundings. His gaze was set on a metro light on the roof that was still flickering with voltage even after 200 years. He realised he was still laying on the bedroll inside the metro. His heart rate slowed slightly and his ragged breath returned to normal. He heard Dogmeat whimper from somewhere nearby. Elias sighed, just a dream.

Lucy was kneeling next to him, gently grasping his arm. "Eli! Are you alright?" she called to him, a worried expression on her face. She cupped her hands around his face.

Blinking, Eli put a hand to his forehead and shook his head. "Mhm," he mumbled absentmindedly. He squeezed his eyes shut before fluttering them open again. Headache.

She let out a sigh of relief. "Nearly gave me a heart attack there," she muttered, kissing him lightly. The two had osculated the previous night. Elias wasn't sure how it betided, Lucy was more forward with her feelings than anyone he had ever met. Then she fell asleep beside him. Currently she was knelt at his side, reaching into his backpack for food rations.

"What? What happened?" Elias asked, confused. He sat up with a hand on his forehead, grimacing. His head stung painfully.

"You were thrashing around and yelling in your sleep. Nightmare perhaps?" she suggested, not looking up from the bag. Dogmeat stepped forward and rested in Eli's lap.

A smile spread across his face as he began to pet his dog, despite the fact that his mind was still befuddled. He was unable to think clearly or recall the events of his dream… or nightmare, as Lucy had put it. "What did I say…? In my sleep, I mean," he stuttered while blushing, mortified. Hoping he hadn't said anything strange.

Lucy cast him a quick curious glance before returning her attention to his bag. "Hmm, you were calling out to your father," she said hesitantly, turning back to him to see his reaction.

He stared tight-lipped at the wall ahead in bewilderment. "Strange…" he muttered, he didn't want to think of it. He looked up, scanning the metro. "Has Jericho returned yet?" he asked, changing the subject.

Lucy shook her head. "Not that I know of," she said, handing him a mac n cheese box.

He thanked her with a nod before opening it. He put it to his lips as he began to shove it down his throat greedily. Lucy sighed and stood up,

"C'mon we should move."

* * *

The two young adults and Dogmeat manoeuvred their way through the metro tunnels. Coming across more and more evidence that Jericho had been there. Dead animal bodies that had been using the metro as a shelter, assault rifle shells, broken pre-war items kicked around and an ashtray that had a still burning cigarette inside.

As Elias carefully stepped over a radroach corpse and noticed two raiders dead on a mattress, tucked away beside a generator, he turned to Lucy who was checking over her 10mm handgun. "You know, Jericho reminds me very much of these raiders," he said honestly.

Lucy snorted as she slid in a new magazine, "Yeah, didn't he tell you? He used to run with a raider gang before settling down in Megaton," she said matter-of-factly, casting her eyes in his direction.

Elias rolled his eyes, "Not surprised," he muttered. _'Tigers don't change their stripes'_ was all that came to mind. "Do you know why he's so grumpy, ornery even?" he then asked after a while, out of sheer curiosity. There had to be a reason.

The blond hummed in thought. "I guess that's just the way he is. Jericho isn't the type to settle down, so perhaps he was bored out of his mind in Megaton. Which would explain why he decided to join up with us," she suggested, just shooting examples for him.

Elias pursed his lips. "There has got to be something more to it than that."

Lucy stopped, and seemed to be debating whether or not to tell him something, she eventually relented and decided to share. "I think the old man has a thing for Jenny Stahl, but about three months ago, when he was drunk out of his senses, he attempted to… come on to her. He had been drowning out his sorrows in alcohol ever since," she mumbled unsurely, she must've been one of the only people to know about it and didn't feel right about spreading it around. But Elias was thankful for her trust in him.

"That makes sense, then… not the unwanted advances thing but his morose attitude." He tried to correct himself after realising his mistake.

Lucy nodded but didn't respond. She was obviously ambivalent about him. Elias couldn't lie to himself; so was he.

The three ascended a set of metal stairs that led to a main generator room. When they reached the top they noticed a closed door to an office to the left and a gate to the right. On the other side of the gate were the generators and a group of what looked like ghouls but much skinnier than Gob and had much less muscle, the irradiated creatures looked anorexic. They were practically a thin layer of skin and bones with rags attached to their bodies. The ghouls had trapped themselves on the other side since the gate was locked securely. They must've been those Feral Ghouls, Gob spoke about.

"Ferals," Lucy mumbled as Dogmeat let out a low growl at the creatures, confirming it. She turned her attention to the door and pushed it open. When she entered, her head shook with a grin.

Elias entered after her and locked eyes with Jericho who was sitting on a green bed cot, cleaning his gun abstractly. The asshole took an actual bed.

"Was wonderin' when you kids would get here," he said, looking from the two. He rose from the bed and walked up to the desk to retrieve something. Once he had hold of it he handed it to Elias. "Energy cells for that Laser pistol of yours, you'll need 'em," he explained.

Swiftly he walked up to the door, he aimed his assault rifle at a generator on the other side of the gate and shot it, it caught flame and burned for a few seconds before exploding completely, causing a chain reaction as every single other generator exploded together with it. Immediately killing all the ghouls.

Jericho turned back to his companions with a smug grin. "Coming?"

* * *

 **Sarah's POV:**

DC was the same as ever. Ensembles of destroyed office buildings and used-to-be skyscrapers flanked the Lyons Pride as they walked. Cheap Pulowski Preservation Shelters meant to shield innocents from the nukes were on either side of the street every few hundred feet. Trash and bits of rubble littering the pavement. Super mutants at every turn. Same as ever.

The only new or unusual thing was the petrichor smell. The scent of the last night's rainfall on the dry earth.

"Uh, ma'am, we have a problem," Knight Captain Colvin called from a few paces away, looking around the corner and into the street they were about to take.

When she caught up, she also caught sight of what exactly that problem was. The road was blocked off with chunks of rubble and debris creating a pile high as four men. Something must've hit the neighbouring building recently and caused its wreckage to slide in and fill that part of the street because it wasn't there a few weeks ago when they were here last.

"What are your orders, Sentinel?" Colvin then asked.

"We'll go through the building over there," Sarah directed, pointing to the structure on the other side of the street.

After a few well-placed shots into the front door's hinges, Sentinel Lyons and the rest of her team burst into the building that just had to be lurking with Supermutants. At this point, she wasn't even surprised just extremely irked.

"To arms brothers, to arms!" ordered Vargas, her second in command.

Her, Colvin, Vargas and the two initiates; Reddin and Jennings all opened fire, burning the life out the closest mutants with their laser weaponry. But as always, no matter how many they killed, there were more to take their place.

Soon they would be overwhelmed.

"Disperse out into Chevy Chase, Colvin and I will cover you!" she shouted her command. There were no complaints or objections, everyone followed her lead.

Vargas blasted a hole in one of the side walls big enough for power armour to fit through, creating an exit. Once those three were out, she and Colvin slowly backed into it as well, firing at the same time.

Colvin looked her way, head still helmeted. She nodded back to give him the 'okay' and he threw in a couple of hand grenades before dashing the hell out there with her.

"Into that alley, let's move!"

Through an almost fully collapsed building they ran. A few of its pillars stood tall and proud by sheer willpower with floor still clinging to them for support, connected together with planks of wood that acted as bridges.

Sarah took cover behind one of the pillars as did Vargas and Reddin. This way they could flush the mutants into the open and pick them off from behind cover, in effect, ambushing them. Even though her power armour was like a tank in its own right, it wasn't invincible and she hated fixing the many dents racked up when she resorted to using it that way.

Meanwhile, Colvin and Jennings, who was limping, disappeared into the alley.

The three Brotherhood soldiers took aim and were about to fire when they realised there was someone blocking their view of the mutant abominations. It was a civilian dressed in an unusual armoured blue jumpsuit and his pet dog.

"Hey you, get out the way!" she yelled.

The civilian looked around as if searching for the source of the voice, spotted her, and then looked at the hole in the building beside him. Two mutants charged out, realisation set in and he scooped his dog into his arms and jumped over the partly still standing stone balustrade enclosing the rim of the office building, hunkering down there.

After a lightshow of red lasers, and a few contributed shots from the civilian, six mutants lay dead half in, half out of that building.

As if intrigued by the power armoured soldiers that saved his ass, the wastelander made his way over, raising his hands to show that he wasn't a threat.

Sarah grinned beneath her helm in amusement, like one waster would pose a threat to a Brotherhood squad _and_ the Lyons Pride at that.

"So this is the idiot who blew our ambush," she said. The wastelander smiled at her for some reason.

"Looks that way," Vargas replied from somewhere behind.

"Must be a tourist," she said, more to herself than anything else.

Sentinel Lyons stepped up to him, about to make her disdain known for ruining their ambush. She found the release on her helmet and removed it, tucking it beneath her arm and taking in a breath of fresh wasteland air at the same time. It could get stuffy in her helmet, so she relished in the opportunity to take it off between missions.

The wastelander's mouth went slightly agape, as he stared. Sarah glared back at him. In all honesty, he wasn't bad looking, a little dirty but not as much as other wasters she'd encountered. Dark brown hair, cerulean blue eyes and a shadow of stubble that spanned his face. He didn't look that physically strong, having a lanky build. She then noticed the strange wrist device on his arm and the laser pistol tucked in his belt. Her perplexity was raised. Who was this man?

"Look, I don't know who you are, but you clearly don't belong here. The Supermutants have overrun our brothers at the Galaxy News Radio station, we're headed there to back them up."

"Well, thanks for the assist. I didn't realise how dangerous this place was going to be."

Without registering it, something of a scowl began to form on her face. What kind of person did not know that D.C. was dangerous? It's the most minacious part of the Capital Wasteland. And should be avoided at all costs by regular wastelanders. That fact is drilled into everyone out here's brain like a tattoo before they can even talk.

"Have you been living under a rock?"

"Technically, yes," he cut in. "I'm from a vault, you see." He'd pinched his jumpsuit to show the Vault-Tec logo and a yellow '101' fringed on his collar.

 _Well that explains his stupidity and why he looks like he hasn't seen the wasteland for more than a few days._ She guessed he'd survive another week at most if he got out of D.C. but then would probably be picked off by a raider party.

Sarah rested her laser rifle on her shoulder and leaned to one side slightly. "This is D.C., the whole place is crawling with Supermutants. I suggest you turn around, go back the way you came and never return." It's what she would do if she weren't a Brotherhood solider, let alone, Sentinel. She then turned to go.

"Who are you?" he asked, still sticking around.

Sighing, she looked back at him. "Sentinel Lyons of the Lyons Pride. We're with the Brotherhood of Steel. We do our best to hold off the Supermutants in this area but when civilians stumble into our sights, that gets a little difficult, doesn't it?"

The young man scratched the back of his neck and laughed nervously. "Yeah… sorry about that."

Sarah left him there and went off to join the rest of her team. At the other end of the alley, Colvin had his sights locked, watching the playground. Sitting against the wall of the alley and clutching a wound somewhere in his lower middle with a bloodied hand was Jennings. Reddin beside him tying a strip of cloth around one of his legs.

"What's the situation?" she asked, concerned.

"All clear, Sentinel. Five mutants released from their torment. The rest are keeping their heads down," Colvin replied without taking his eyes off the playground.

She nodded. "Good." She glanced over at Jennings' slumped form, groans escaping his lips. "And Jennings?"

There was a defeated sigh and he turned his head to look at her, even though his power helmet concealed his face, she knew his eyes revealed the sorrow the visor hid. She knew what he was going to say. "Negative, I'm afraid. Without a medic, there's nothing we can do." He looked away.

Curses rang under her breath. That was the second initiate in just three days. After their last medic passed away, they'd been going the latest missions without. It wasn't like there was anyone else available, though. Now it was costing them.

"Wait, you're just going to leave him here to die?" the vault dweller demanded from behind, having followed her and ignored her warning. This time he was accompanied by an older man with a goatee and a young blond girl.

 _So he brought along his grandpa and his girlfriend, eh?_

"Unless you somehow have adept training in first aid then unfortunately yes, there's nothing we can do," Vargas said to him.

The Vault Dweller walked over and knelt beside Jennings, excusing Reddin, he glanced up at them. "As a matter of fact, I do." And without a moment to lose, he had his first aid kit out and was on to treating Jennings wounds.

Colvin turned away from the park to look over the civilian. "New recruit?"

"No. Just a stray we picked up. The one that blundered into the muties on 42," she explained.

"Welcome!" Colvin greeted warmly.

"Alright, it's the usual drill," she announced, addressing her entire team. That's when she realised it was Reddin's first mission and she didn't know what that meant. "Reddin do whatever Vargas says and keep your mouth shut."

Initiate Reddin turned away but Sarah knew the woman was rolling her eyes. "Yes, ma'am," she said, apathy lacing her tone.

Sarah looked to the vault dweller. "You, Vaultie, think you can carry Jennings?"

He looked up at her, a slightly amused twinkle in his eye. "About two steps before we collapse, yeah." Snorts of failed suppressed laughter escaped some of the people present. "Besides, I thought I was 'just a stray'?" he said, quoting her words from earlier.

"Are you going to help or what?"

"Alright." He grunted as he slid one arm around Jennings and helped him to his feet.

Sarah turned towards the playground, sliding her helmet back on. "Let's move out."

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

The team of soldiers yelled in unison as they cut down super mutant after super mutant in the playground just at the end of the ally they were in previously. Jericho and Lucy helped out where they could, killing mutants that the soldiers hadn't noticed yet but Elias doubted the soldiers really needed the assistance. He, on the other hand, had to carry one of the Initiates, so he tried to avoid the incoming fire from the mutants. Though it was easier since the man beside him was only wearing combat armour instead.

These soldiers were part of the "Brotherhood of Steel", though he did like the name, it sounded like some military organisation he was unaware of. Though their movements were sluggish and restricted due to the heavy power armour, the three using it especially proved a capable fighter. One you did not want to fuck with unless you desired to have your brains splattered against the nearest wall like these supermutants. The blond woman in particular: her tactics were precise, clear and without hesitation. Evidence that she had an impressive experience under her belt with this sort of shit. Though she seemed a little young to be in command from Elias' point of view, she certainly earned that position. He was starting to admire her.

It wasn't too long before the Brotherhood troopers were inside the school on the other side of the playground, clearing a path. By the time he made it inside with Jennings, all the mutants were dead.

They rushed out the back of the school and into the courtyard of Galaxy News. A few other soldiers were at the entrance, taking cover behind sand bag barricades from the super mutant's hail of gunfire. Which meant that the attachment Elias was following would flank these muties. And they did, unleashing hell on the attacking super mutants, shooting them in the backs.

Relief washed over Elias as he gazed up at the GNR building. Maybe his father was inside?

The courtyard was made up of mostly rubble. In the centre was a fountain displaying a statue of a globe with a collapsed metro entrance behind it. Next to that was one of the buildings three front walls, they were shaped together like a trapezium missing its base. The middle wall was the one with the double doors to the building. On top of the building stood a large radio tower.

He was brought out of his train of thought when a super mutant came charging at him and the Initiate. Elias reached for his laser pistol with his free hand and dealt a trio of shots at the abomination's head. He needed to get Jennings to safety, preferable behind the sandbags up on the steps to GNR but he couldn't just hobble over through the midst of the battle like they did when trailing behind the Brotherhood squad. He picked Jennings up with one arm beneath his knees and the other behind his neck.

"You weigh a lot," he said after grunting.

Jennings chuckled. "It's the snack cakes, I know."

They both laughed as Elias ran as fast as he could whilst holding a man his age in his arms, he jogged up the steps, taking precaution not to trip. Once at the top, he lay Jennings down as comfortably as possible.

"Thanks, man," Jennings said with a smile. "I'd be a goner otherwise."

Eli nodded. "You're welcome."

* * *

 **Sarah's POV:**

Sentinel Lyons and the Supermutant she was about to smack over the head with her laser rifle both stopped mid-attack to watch the vault dweller and Initiate Jennings who was in his arms, laugh goofily as they stumbled through the battle.

 _What the-_

The Supermutant decided to use the distraction to his advantage and tried to swipe at her with his spiked club weapon, she caught it by the handle and twisted it out of the beast's grasp before slamming it into its neck. She heard the snap.

A few shots from an assault rifle sprayed her side, two of which got her in the elbow at the joint of her armour. Wincing, she spun round and dispatched the thing.

That seemed to be the last of them. Fresh Supermutant corpses peppered the courtyard and two of their own seemed to have fallen protecting the station as well.

As she walked by Vargas and Reddin, heading to the GNR building, she caught the rest of their conversation.

"- we're on guard duty."

"Aw, c'mon. We just kicked their asses! Let's celebrate!" Reddin insisted.

Vargas shook his head. "We need to sweep the area. You think these are all the uglies in D.C.? You take the east side and I'll take the west."

A groan came from the young initiate. "Okay, okay."

"Once we're inside, then we'll celebrate."

She pumped her arm with a fisted hand. "Now you're talking."

Sarah grinned as she passed. Celebration did sound like a good idea. She took her helmet off again, wrinkling her nose slightly at the stench of death. That's when she noticed the vault dweller that had helped Jennings approaching her, gazing incredulously around at the dead mutants that littered the courtyard. "Wow, you guys don't screw around," he blurted.

Nevertheless, she smiled back. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"I didn't get the chance to introduce myself. Elias Hawke, of Vault 101," he said with holding out a hand, she shook it firmly with her bad arm, trying not to flinch _. Interesting Name._ "Say, you looking for new recruits?" he asked, attempting what she guessed to be a charming smile.

The Sentinel wasn't fazed by him in the slightest. "That's a negative. We've got too many local conscripts as it is and most of them are too damn trigger-happy for their own good. Our own initiate Reddin is a prime example," she said, nodding over at the woman who was walking off to patrol. She still didn't like the idea that they had to recruit from the locals, none of them took their position in the Brotherhood as seriously as someone born into it.

"It was worth a shot, I guess." Elias shrugged, the Sentinel nodded to him before she was about to make her way over to the GNR building when a massive tremor shook the ground. Uneasily, they both looked around. And that's when she heard it, a thunderous booming roar barrelled through from somewhere north, followed by the frightening raucous of metal being smashed onto metal, assaulting their eardrums.

Everyone in the plaza instantaneously turned towards the noise, looking at a bus that was in the way. Initiate Reddin glanced side to side nervously as she was the closest to the large vehicle. She took a few uncertain steps back but didn't have enough time to get away.

"Reddin! Get out of there!" Vargas yelled. But he was a moment too late.

The bus was kicked forward, smacking initiate Reddin with it.

"Duck!" Someone screamed at the top of their lungs. Everyone hit the deck as the bus came continuously flipping over the ground before smashing into the other side of the courtyard and exploded. Giving way for a large - no - _gargantuan_ sized super mutant. The ferocious beast roared fiercely at everyone before stomping on a soldier nearby, squishing the man beneath its immense weight. In its right hand was a massive metal pole with a fire hydrant attached to the end, the monster brandishing it haughtily at the wastelanders peppered about Chevy Chase, in its way.

"Oh my God… Behemoth!" An unfortunate troop yelled before being grabbed by the Mutant, it squashed her in its free hand, shaking her armoured body like a rag doll and let out another blood curdling scream as someone landed a shot near its eye.

The Behemoth was about three times the size of a normal super mutant, standing at, at least thirty feet. On its left arm was a car door that it seemed to be using as a shield of sort, it also had a multitude of mismatched rags tied around its waist, used as a loin cloth. Muscled inhumanly from head to toe and looked like a beast that belonged in an old science-fiction flick. It had human heads on a line of wire that it was using a necklace. It also had shopping carts full of boulders tied over its shoulder for projectiles. This wasn't her first encounter with one of these beasts and she doubted it would be her last.

Everyone in the plaza were firing everything they had at it. Hawke's two companions had taken cover at the entrance to GNR behind the sand bag barricades, the old man was shooting the last of his rounds as the blondie prepared a grenade. While the vaultie was behind the statue in the centre of the courtyard with his hound at his side.

The Sentinel took cover beside him as the Behemoth kicked a pile of rubble her way. Elias shot her a quick glance. "How do we beat this thing?" he asked, cringing as he watched the beast throw the soldier in its hand at another standing on the balcony of GNR. "Bullets are just making it angrier."

Lyons reloaded her laser rifle and scanned the plaza as she tried to formulate a plan, her gaze landed on two points of interest. "Then we'll need mini nukes instead. See the Fat Man over there?" She pointed to a dead Brotherhood troop lying on a bench in front of the statue they were behind. In his grasp was a M-29 Davy Crockett Weapon System. A mini nuke launcher that they simply called 'Fat Man'. "You think you can reach it?" she asked over the lasers, explosions and gunfire.

"Worth a shot," Elias said, repeating his words from earlier, with an indifferent shrug.

The Sentinel shook her head, but she was grinning inside her helm despite the situation. "I'm going to draw the massive ugly over to the building behind us, once it's there, I want you to take aim at the supports for the skyscraper. Hopefully it takes this oversized frankenstein out of action with it." Sarah then moved past him, ready to bolt it over to the building in question.

"Hang on," she heard him say, barely. "I think you're overestimating my ability with a nuke projectile I've never even _seen_ , let alone handled, in my life."

With a quick glance behind her at him, she patted his shoulder with a metal hand and said, "You'll be fine."

He gave her a hard stare, she knew he didn't believe her. "I hope you're right."

She nodded then turned back to the task at hand. "Here we go then," she breathed.

Sentinel Lyons ran out of the cover of the fountain, firing as she sprinted as fast as she could in her bulky steel towards the rundown building, hitting the back of its ugly head. The mutant turned to cast its attention upon her and stomped heavily onto the ground, erupting a mini earthquake. Lyons took the worst of the aftershock but her powerful suit of armour kept her upright. She continued forward, leaping over a bench and firing at the beast as it charged her and slashed its fire hydrant down over its head at her like a lancer. She jumped to the side just in time as the hydrant dissected the concrete she stood on a moment before in half.

In her peripheral, she could make out Elias as he grunted under the weight of the nuke projectile. Grimacing, he placed a mini nuke into the Fat Man's launch collar and aimed.

She glared through her power armour eye slits at the thing's hideous features as she tried to prevent her knees from buckling each time it stomped the ground. Its demonic red eyes stared down at her with an intense hatred and she returned every ounce. The mutant swung its pole horizontally, attempting to send her flying across the boulevard, leaving little room to duck. But she managed and pounced back up. The Behemoth roared out more loathe for her, Sarah could've sworn she got some of the abomination's saliva on her power armour, making her wince.

Her gaze flicked to Elias for a fraction of a second. _Forget aiming, just shoot_ , she thought.

Massive Frank swiped his hand to try and grab her. That's when she decided to beeline straight through its legs, dodging the hand. She extended the blade she'd modded into the right arm of her power armour and sliced Frank's inner ankle. But just as she made it beneath, a nuke flew directly at her. Behind it, a terrified looking Hawke.

Her eyes widened. Acting on reflex, she slid feet first, still carving with her arm-sword, and narrowly missed the mini nuke as it sailed over her power helmet and into the building in front of the behemoth.

A shrill piercing scream echoed as the explosion tore across the concrete. The earth shook relentlessly right before, and as, a reverberating _crack_ split the air. She turned to watch the skyscraper snap just above the base, lean over the behemoth – who had slammed into it when he fell – then proceed to topple on top of him, burying him in mountains of rubble with heavy thud.

Sarah had to cover her helmeted face with her arm as the destruction sent stray chunks of brain and bone fragments splattering at her and the plaza, along with rocks and other miscellaneous nearby, flying.

The Brotherhood Knights shouted a tremendous cheer, raising their weapons above their heads. "Ad Victoriam!" Colvin yelled and the rest of the soldiers echoed it.

Elias lowered the Fat Man as he made his way over to her basically sitting in power armour on the ground. He held out a hand to her. "Show off," he said with a sly smile, his eyes glimmering in the suns reflection.

After shouldering her laser rifle, she removed her helmet with a smile on her face at his words. She looked at his hand. "You think you're going to be able to pull me up, do you?"

He cast his eyes to his hand as well as he registered the ridiculousness of his offer before shrugging. "I can try."

She laughed, the adrenaline and endorphin rush from the battle still wearing off. "I guess it's my turn to thank you, for killing that thing." She then pushed herself to her feet, grunting at the clunkiness since her movements were heavily restricted and wincing when her elbow throbbed.

One of his eyebrows raised. "Thank me?" he asked, incredulous. "I barely did anything, you're the one who did all the work."

 _True_ , she agreed in thought and smiled to herself. "But you're the one that killed it, credit where credit is due."

The former vault dweller grinned as he handed the launcher over to her. "Well in that case, you sure you're not looking for new recruits? I killed a Behemoth so I must be worth something."

The Sentinel chuckled. "I'm sure. You can handle yourself, I'll give you that. But let's not get carried away." She responded with a wink as she tucked the Fat Man under her arm.

"Not even as a medic? It looks like you could use one." She thought he meant 'you' as referring to her team but he then gestured her elbow, blood dripping through the holes in the rubber of her power armour joint.

Turning so that he couldn't see the wounds, she said, "No… we're doing fine." Flat out lie. She wasn't one to ask others for help. It was a struggle.

Elias didn't look too appeased by that answer. "If you say so… Oh, by the way, I just wanted to say that I'm… sorry about Reddin."

Lyons looked to Vargas that was seated at a bench behind Elias, his head was cowed in sadness. "She died well…" the Sentinel sighed, she then made eye contact with the vault dweller again. "In the end, that's all that really matters."

He nodded with a grim look on his face, before walking up to the entrance of GNR with his dog. She went to check up on Vargas. The metallic smell of the Behemoth's brain matter still fresh in her nostrils.

"It's not your fault, you know." She was never the best at the emotional support thing.

Vargas looked the other way, avoiding eye contact. "Yeah, I know… it's just that, Damnit! She was my first apprentice."

"Once we get back to the Citadel, I'll talk to the scribes. Let it be chronicled that Reddin passed her tests!"

Looking up at her, "Thanks Sarah," he said. Vargas stood up. "C'mon, let's see if they've got anything to drink in this dump."

* * *

Later on, when the Pride were inside GNR, Sentinel Lyons dropped the Fat Man on one of the tables, grimacing at the shot of pain that ran up her arm. She'd been trying to ignore it, she'd get it checked out by old Saw Bones back at the Citadel in a few days' time. But she didn't know if she could make it that long now.

"That's it, I've had enough of watching you squirm. Go get whatever it is checked out by that vault dweller kid," Vargas said. Sitting on one of the beds opposite her.

She sighed, not looking to argue. "Alright."

* * *

Elias shook his head as he examined the wound. "You're lucky it's me helping you, if you've left it or had someone inexperienced treat this, you could've damaged it permanently and never be able to shoot a rifle straight again."

That scared her.

He looked back up at her, locking eyes. They stayed like that for a while, staring into each other's eyes. She nearly lost herself in the rich blue pools of his irises...

The Sentinel was first to break eye contact, coughing into her hand. "Uh, are you done with it yet?" Blood rushed to her cheeks, she looked away. Inwardly cursing him for being able to do this to her. She swallowed, suddenly and oddly nervous.

Shaking his head slightly as if being snatched from a daydream, Elias nodded. "Huh? Oh yeah. You should be fine now." He stood up from his kneeling position at her bedside and she stood up from the mattress.

"You can go on in to see Three dog… I'm sure that's what you came here to do, right? Not fixing up every injury you see," she said, laughing nervously. Why was she so awkward all of a sudden?

"Hey, I was happy to help."

"Well, thanks... for helping…" she trailed.

He smiled back, that lazy half-smile he seemed to always wear. "My pleasure." He walked to the doorway. "See you around, Sentinel. Watch yourself out there." With that he saluted and left.

"Same to you, Hawke. Same to you." She watched him walk out the door of the room the Knights used as a barracks and when he was out of view, she slapped herself in the face.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Update- So I completely changed the last half of this chapter because I wasn't happy with it.**

 **So Elias meets the Sentinel. How did you guys like my take on her character? I wanted her to steal some of the spotlight a bit here and we'll see more of her later on.**

 **I imagine Sarah to look similar to Elena from the Uncharted series, specifically her model from 4: A Thief's End. Not too glamorous but you can clearly tell that she's naturally pretty. Her personality will also be influenced by Elena as well and yes, she's one of my favourite characters.**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 5: Three Dog's Errand

Chapter 5: Three Dogs' Errand

Elias roamed through the door to the studio, he ran a hand over the wall to feel its rigid texture. The once white paint was stripping off the wall, little fragments dangled by their last thread. The Brotherhood mustn't have had time to recoat it, nonetheless it was still in fairly good condition considering its ancient age.

The next room was a pigsty. Desks, filing cabinets, boxes, and dumps of paper were strewn in the corners. There was even a hole in the floor. Giving the impression that this 'Three Dog' fellow just threw the junk he didn't need into this room.

He heard the soft chime of music from the room above and out of inquisitiveness slowly approached by way of the staircase. A bearded man sat at a recording setup, holding the left side of headphones to his ear as he bobbed his head up and down to the beat. Albeit, Elias couldn't recognise the song. He wasn't much of a fan of music. Though the reason he'd grown a distaste for it was that the vault had only a few songs and they would always be replayed. Eventually it became too monotonous for his liking. He cleared his throat roughly to get the older man's attention.

Three Dog's head stopped bobbing and he simply sat looking at the controls in front of him, trying to figure out if what he had just heard was real. He slowly cocked his head round. Surprise flashed across his features before he smiled brightly. He stood up and brushed his thighs casually. The man had a similar fashion style as Lucy. A ripped sleeved black leather jacket over a short sleeved shirt beneath. He wore jeans and faded black boots with tape wrapped around just above where his ankle should be. For whatever reason. He also had a grey head wrap, sunglasses and long tipless gloves were equipped on both his arms.

"The look on your face says it all. You're wondering who the heck this guy is and why you should care. Well prepare to be enlightened…" the African American man began. Elias was going to cut in and say that he already knew who he was but quickly banished the thought of interrupting because he didn't want to be rude.

"I am Three Dog, jockey of disks and teller of truths. Lord and master over the finest radio station to grace the wastes. Galaxy News Radio." He declared proudly. Almost too proud, leaving Elias to wonder whether or not the stranger was conceited, in terms of his radio station. Though maybe that was just because he was passionate about his job, which Elias could respect.

Elias remained facing the man but his eyes wandered around the room. It was just as messy as the lower floor.

 _Does anyone even clean up anymore?_

"And you… well I know who you are. Heard about you leavin' that Vault and heading into the unknown. Just like dear old Dad, hmm? Met him already…"

Elias immediately looked back at him, staring in disbelief. "You know my father? Is he here? Please you have to tell me!" Eli pleaded with him, almost begging.

Three Dog held out his hands in a calming gesture. "Hey, hey. One thing at a time. Nah, your old man ain't here. Not anymore…"

Elias sighed and set his eyes downcast, at the ground. Of course, James wasn't here. That would be too easy. And it was never easy.

"He heard ole Three Dog on the radio, figured I knew what was what out here in the Capital Wasteland. And he was right. So I filled the old man in. But he split. Looks like I've got my way of contributing to the _Good Fight_... and he's got his own."

"Good fight? What are you talking about?" It felt like he was speaking in riddles and Elias was too fatigued to be bothered deciphering them.

"Imagine a picture, okay? A picture of the Capital Wasteland. All that rubble and debris in DC and that lifeless dirt out in the wasteland. A whole lot of nothing, right? There's people out there trying to just barely make it by from day to day. Fighting to stay alive and make something of what they got then you've got all kinds of shit... Slavers, Super Mutants, Raiders... They all want a slice of the pie too and aim to take it by force," he explained with a serious look on his face. The avidness he possessed on the topic shone in his dark brown eyes.

Elias' mouth formed an 'O' as he snapped into realisation of what Three Dog was trying to say, "Let me guess, you fight this 'Good Fight' with your voice on Galaxy News Radio?"

Joy glimmered in Three Dog's expression. "Well, holy shit! Aren't you a chip off the old block? You ARE as smart as your dad."

Not in full agreement with the older man, Elias looked away. "Well, not exactly…" he mumbled though the words didn't reach the disk jockey ear.

"Since you know all about the cause, no need to explain the effect. Let's get you on your way." He cheered merrily, clapping his hands together.

Elias nodded with an uncertain smile. "I'm ready for anything," he lied, dubious.

"Good, 'cause this isn't going to be easy. Galaxy News Radio is my baby. I love it, I feed it, I keep it changed. But there's one problem, no one outside DC can hear her cry. You see, some brainless Super Mutant thought it would be funny to shoot at the shiny round thing on the Washington Monument," he explained sarcastically.

Nodding in understanding, Eli knew where this was going, "And that was the broadcast relay, correct?"

Three Dog nodded his head in agreement. "Exactly, and to top that off; The factory that made the relay dishes is long gone. Levelled. As in, we'll never scavenge that part again."

"I presume you have something else in mind, or are you planning to send me on a wild goose chase?"

"Of course, not, kid. You see, one of the Brotherhood guys that passed through here mentioned seeing a dish in one of DC's old museums. It's the dish off the old Virgo II Lunar Lander in the Museum of Technology. I want you to get it and bring it to the Washington Monument to replace the bad one. That's it," he explained, stating it like it was as simple as brushing his teeth. Though Elias would've preferred him to delineate the mission so he knew exactly what he was doing. But like before, it was never that easy.

Elias pursed his lips in thought. He didn't doubt that there would be some form of threat occupying the Museum of Technology and didn't actually know where the place was. Alas, this was the only way to find his father and that was good enough for him.

His face was expressionless as he stared Three Dog straight in the eye. "What's the best way to the museum?" he asked, trying to make it seem as if he hadn't made up his mind yet.

"You head out the back door of GNR and take the Collapsed Car Tunnel to the other side of Dupont. Then take the metro tunnels until you're there. You'll have to be careful though, it's only a one-way trip," he described hastily, Elias could see the excited spark in his eye and couldn't help but smile.

That's when Elias spoke the words Three Dog so eagerly awaited to hear,

"You have yourself a deal."

* * *

Elias descended the stairs in the lobby of the Galaxy News Radio building, heading towards the rest of his little crew. He looked around for the Sentinel but it seemed she and her squad had already left. He gave a perfunctory nod directed toward the two Knights guarding the door and strolled into the guest area.

Lucy was drinking a Nuka-Cola as she played with Dogmeat, tickling the young hound under the chin while Jericho sat at a separate desk checking over his guns, his legs were resting on the desk and crossed over. All their excess gear was dumped on the centre table, food had been opened with the boxes resting on the kitchen bench and Elias noticed three empty beer bottles lying on the floor by the door.

 _Well, they made themselves comfortable._

As Elias walked in, everyone looked up at him. "Pack your shit. We're going to the Museum of Technology," he said in almost a demand.

Lucy stood up. "Why would your father be there?" she asked, utterly confused.

Elias shook his head. "No, this is a job from Three Dog, I've got to do something for him." _and then he'll tell me where my Dad is._ Elias thought, realising how dumb it would sound out loud.

He heard Jericho chuckle from by the corner. "Ah, the art of blackmail," he remarked with a grin, waving his beer in the air. Having already figured out the deal.

Before Elias could respond, the unmistakable voice of the charismatic radio host boomed from the speaker in the radio replacing the music,

 _"Hellooooo Wasteland! Are ya'll ready for some news? Me neither, but it's that time again. Hoooooo BOY! Children, you are going to LOVE this. Okay, so I told you about James, the guy from the vault. And then I told you somebody else crawled outta there too. Right. Weeeeelll... Guess who came to visit ole' Three Dog at his luxurious studio in beautiful downtown DC? That's right - the other vault dweller! Now. You want to know if it gets better, don't you? Well hell YES it gets better! Turns out vault dweller #2 was none other than James's kid! I know! I know! I couldn't make this shit up if I tried! Okay, but now it gets kind of sad. You see, the kid is looking for his dad, looking for James. See, James left Vault 101 without telling the kid why or even saying goodbye. Now, I've since learned that James is a scientist and is working on something big. Is that why he left the vault? Looks that way. So who knows, maybe James is going to save the world. Can't think of a better cause than that. But James, if you're listening... Your kid's out there, man, and he misses you. So you might want to find him before he gets swallowed up and spit out. And for all you other cats out there listening, if you see the_ **Lone Wanderer** _from Vault 101 out there, give him a pat on the back and wish him luck."_

" _Lone Wanderer_?" Jericho asked, on the verge of another one of his laughing fits at Elias' expense. The raider scoffed. "You don't travel alone, what is he on about?" he asked, looking to the female in the group.

Lucy shrugged. "Well how would Three-dog know that? It is kinda' catchy though."

Jericho spun around in the desk chair as music replaced Three Dog's voice over the radio. "Well if he's getting new nicknames, I want one too."

"Yours would be: 'Washed up, old raider' or 'Jerry'," she joked.

Jericho looked at her with a crooked grin. "And yours would be; Girl with no family -" he told her brazenly. Not realising what he had just said.

Lucy picked up an empty Nuka-Cola bottle and threw it his way, Jericho barely had time to dodge as it flew just over his head and smashed against the wall. The bits of shattered glass landed on top of the radio and cracked into smaller pieces.

"Holy shit! Sorry! I didn't mean it!" the raider cried, holding his arms up in surrender. Lucy snarled at him with a menacing glare, another Nuka-Cola bottle propped up in her hand, ready to fly right into Jericho's face.

"Kid! Help me!" he shrieked desperately as he dove out of his chair and to the ground, another bottle smashed against the wall where he had previously been. He held out a hand in a stopping gesture. "Look… I don't have a family either…" he mumbled, but Lucy heard him clearly. Her face softened and she lowered her throwing arm as she hung her head.

Elias was staring blankly at the radio with an inscrutable look on his face. He hadn't moved an inch since hearing Three Dog's speech. But the smashing of glass right before him snapped him into reality. A tear rolled freely down his face, he moved his hand to wipe it up before he turned around and said, "C'mon were leaving. Let's go."

As he began to walk back the way he came, Jericho stood up and brushed his torso, removing dust that had been on the ground. "Hold up, _Lone Wanderer_. I don't have enough ammunition left to last another trip. We'll need to resupply," he stated, grabbing his assault rifle and slinging it over his shoulder.

Lucy, who had lowered her next Nuka-Cola bottle projectile, nodded her head in agreement. "I'm running low on shells as well," she added.

Elias bit his lip as he thought of a way to improvise. He had enough rounds to last him with all his guns but the others didn't. "Is there anywhere to restock in DC?" he said at last.

"There is near the Museum, it's called Underworld. A city full of ghouls. They have a general store where we can buy more ammo," Jericho explained, giving Elias some hope.

After a short time in thought, the Vault Dweller came to a decision. "I'll head to the museum and you two will head to Underworld. I'll meet up with you guys there once I've completed Three Dog's errand," expounded Elias. The kid shot a cocky wink their way,

"I am the Lone Wanderer, after all."

* * *

Elias emerged from the metro to find himself inside the dreaded centre of The Mall. Super Mutant central. He crept up the steps shoulder first, sticking close to the stone balustrade on his left. He peered round the side once he reached the top of the stairs. Super Mutants were EVERYWHERE. Every few meters stood a super mutant loitering around haphazardly. Some spoke to each other but only a few sentences before returning to just standing in silence. This confused Elias greatly; What was their purpose? Why were they here? Where did they come from? And most importantly: What the fuck even were they?

The Mall was set up in a way that, just adjacent to Elias' position was a trench, the trench carried its way all around the middle of the huge area. The islands in between were reinforced with makeshift barricades made of sand bags, barbed wire, rubble, debris, planks of wood, the list could on. Whatever fortress they had set up here, they definitely wanted to keep. Except he didn't see anyone or anything trying to contest them for the place.

On the far end, behind the Lone Wanderer was the Washington Monument, in a decent condition for 200 years. Chucks of it had fallen off, but the structure was still standing. At the base of it were two Brotherhood sentries wielding miniguns just outside a large gate. Hopefully Three Dog had told them beforehand that he would be arriving to repair the relay.

On the opposite end of The Mall was the Capitol Building. He noticed that a small squadron of figures seemed to be fighting each other at the entrance but couldn't make out who they were. Deciding to ignore it, since he wasn't headed that way, he turned his attention back to the task at hand.

Elias gazed up at the sky, it was now in the early hours of the night. It would be much easier to sneak up to the museum. After a quick glance at the muties he dipped forward, hoping to take cover behind the bus stop outside the museum. He was a meter away when he heard one of the beast let out a growl in his direction. With a cock of his head, he checked if they had spotted him. Confirming his fear, "Don't try and hide!" another brute yelled. Pointing directly at him with a meaty finger. The Lone Wanderer ditched his futile sneaking tactic and sprinted towards the cover of the bus stop.

It was a small shelter with a collapsed bench in the centre. On the side facing Eli was an old poster encased in shattered glass advertising Nuka-Cola. He didn't have time to study it, rushing past to shade himself from the incoming fire of the mutants.

He took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes closed, his heart racing a million miles an hour. As bullet after bullet pinged off the other side of the bus stop shelter his lips curled into a half cringe. With a heavy sigh, he equipped his 10mm pistol and darted for the double doors to the museum.

Bullets sprayed all around him, he thanked the heavens for the super mutant's lousy aim and pushed open the doors. When he made it inside he grabbed a plank of wood from a pile of debris and propped it up against the doors. Hoping to seal them shut for a time.

He let out a relieved sigh and slowly walked backwards, anticipating the mutants to start banging viciously on the door. They didn't. Something was wrong.

When he bumped into something behind him he knew exactly what. He looked up and saw the repulsive, yellow face of a super mutant grinning down at him.

"Is the little baby scared?" The super mutant asked, amused by the tiny human that had stumbled into their trap. Elias turned around and slowly backed up towards the door. He glanced hesitantly side to side, with an alarmed expression lingering too long on his countenance.

 _Yes, the little baby_ is _scared. Please don't make him cry._

The super mutant raised its nail board high above its head before viciously swiping it down at the human. With a petrified yelp, Elias jumped back in time but banged into the doors, rattling them violently. He ducked just as the brute delivered a hard punch to the position Elias' head had just been. The force of the blow punctured through the rotted wooden doors of the museum, leaving a large hole that Eli could probably fit his head through.

 _Well, shit_

The Lone Wanderer managed to pull round his hunting rifle, he aimed down the sights at the bloodthirsty mutant licking its lips hungrily. "Die, Die, Die!" It screamed. With three fatal bullets to the brain, the beast finally fell to the ground.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Elias looked into the lobby of the museum. Four pillars were placed either side of the red carpet, though they were crumbled over time and all only had about half of the marble still standing. Further in, a model fighter plane had fallen from its hinges and was now crashed on the ground adjacent to a round receptionist desk. In the centre of which was a large shelf or 'pigeon hole', for keys and notes, as he grew to know them as. A staircase led to the balcony of the room and stretched round in a ninety-degree angle against the wall, allowing access to two separate rooms.

As the young man waltzed further in, he was attacked by a rifle wielding super mutant, grinning broadly at him, baring its hideously yellow, crooked teeth. The beast was up on the balcony.

Elias ran for cover behind the closest pillar, readying his own rifle. He exhaled forcefully before exposing himself to the super mutant, he fired multiple times before killing the thing.

The Lone Wanderer sheathed his rifle and continued through. He looked down into the room opposite the stairs, it was filled with mostly rubble from the ceiling but the man's keen gaze found something else displayed on a podium in the corner. Upon closer inspection he realised he had just stumbled upon a stealth boy. A cloaking device that turns the user invisible to the untrained eye for a short time.

"Jackpot," Elias whispered to himself as he placed the piece of tech into his bag for later use. After looting nearby first aid kits he ascended the staircase and made his way round the balcony.

The hall led him to a Vault-Tec Corporation demonstration vault model. It seemed as though it was the only way he could go in order to reach the Virgo II lander. It served as a demonstration of what Vault life would be like; Displaying the various technologies used by Vault-Tec in constructing the Vaults. The exhibit consisted of a hallway with windows that showed examples of different Vault sections. The rooms of the exhibit included a bedroom, kitchen, and classroom. At one end of the hall was the skeleton of a janitor clutching a beer bottle. This earned a small chuckle from the vault dweller. "Nice way to go out," he muttered, continuing on as the pre-recorded voice of a Vault-Tec representative spoke over the speakers.

When Elias reached the end, the final message told him about cameras being located everywhere inside the vault, watching the residents every move. This explained a lot to him. He had always wondered why the Overseer knew so much about the petty gossipy things that occurred within the vault even though he rarely left his office. Security cameras made sense. Sure, he had suggested it before but this proved it. The thought caused him to wonder if Alphonse had seen the kiss between his daughter and he. Yes, he probably did. A smug smirk formed at the corners of Elias' mouth as he exited the area.

Elias walked past a display of a scaled model vertibird and into an area exhibiting a Delta IX rocket. A super mutant had been occupying the room but was soon dispatched.

Through more hallways and endless corridors, the Lone Wanderer tramped, until finally he reached the chamber containing the Virgo II Lunar Lander. The dish shone brightly under the light of the museum. Elias was about to stroll in when he noticed that the room was patrolled by a lot more than two super mutants.

Two were positioned on the third floor balcony overlooking the place. Two others were walking around aimlessly on the second. While another occasionally entered the room via a hallway to the right by the stairs.

"Damn it," Elias mumbled to himself. He'd have to use the stealth boy earlier than he anticipated. A few minutes of fumbling with the device and Elias had a stealth field enveloped around him. He looked down at himself and marvelled at how brilliant it was.

The young man crept up to the Virgo Lander and placed both hands on either side of the dish. Carefully, he pulled, hoping to not emit any noise to alert the mutants. When the dish didn't shift in the slightest he frowned in frustration and yanked at it harder. The dish propped off it with a loud screech.

He mentally kicked himself as every Super Mutant present laid eyes upon his transparent figure. Moments of awkward silence past, the stupid oafs couldn't tell what they were seeing. If Elias hadn't had the audacious courage the creators bestowed upon him, in that moment he would have pissed himself. Only when he let go of the breath he had been holding did the mutants start shooting. Elias jerked the dish under his arm and sprinted out the way he came. He heard the shouts of the bewildered mutants as they began to follow after the retreating floating dish.

Terror-struck, Elias cursorily clipped the dish to his weather-beaten backpack and jogged up the stairs that ran along the outside of the Delta rocket. He crashed through the doors leading to the main lobby and jumped over the railing of the balcony. He landed on some rubble before climbing over the fallen fighter jet.

Reaching the exit, he removed the plank he had used to jam the front doors shut and glanced behind him. A group of super mutants emerged from the doors Elias had just been through and pointed at him, yelling threats of blood and death.

Eli burst through the doors to find that it was pitch black outside. The super mutants inhabiting the Mall hadn't noticed him yet so he crouched low and made his way towards the Washington Monument. The mutants that had followed didn't bother to chase after him through the Mall, remaining within the confines of the Museum of Technology. He breathed a sigh of relief. Attempting to evade the entire mutant population was not on his 'to do list'.

Since he was still cloaked by the stealth boy he managed to sneak past a duo of super mutants munching on human remains down an alleyway. They were also burning other wastelander corpses in a bonfire. Gore bags were hanging from spikes stumped in the ground with human heads on the end. He looked away the instant he caught sight of the scene. The smell alone was enough to send bile up his throat but he swallowed it down, not wanting to attract any attention. He held his breath as he continued to weave his way past piles of rubble.

Eventually he made it to the Brotherhood soldiers at the base of the monument. His stealth boy had worn off and was no longer useful so he cast it aside. The knights didn't utter a single word to him, glaring at him like he was a breach of safety. One of them opened the gate for him but Elias knew he didn't like it. "Move along, outsider," he commanded in a rude, churlish tone before returning his attention to the Mall.

Elias mouthed the word 'Okay' as he made his way towards the monument. Once he was inside the elevator he inhaled sharply. He was by no means, a fan of heights. A meter or two off the ground was fine but once that limit was exceeded he became extremely anxious. Each time the elevator rocked he had a mental break down. Cursing everything that came to mind under his breath. He tried to focus on the view through the cracks in the buildings structure. Admittedly, the Capital Wasteland didn't look that bad from his angle. Admiring the sights allowed him to relax but only slightly. Once the elevator dinged to signal his stop, he rushed out. He handed the dish to a Brotherhood scribe who then began to attach it to the tower.

 _And back down again… Great_

He should've just thrown the dish into the elevator and sent it up by itself.

* * *

Once he returned to ground level, the Lone Wanderer contacted Three Dog via the ham radio that the brotherhood soldiers had set up inside the monument. The boisterous GNR host's ardent enthusiasm of Elias' success with retrieving the relay was manifest. He howled with exuberance, nearly forgetting to fulfil the Lone Wanderer's end of the bargain.

"Oh right, your dad! Well when he came to see ole' Three Dog he mentioned some science mumbo-jumbo that I didn't quite catch, then he said something about heading to Rivet City to meet with a 'Dr Madison Li'. So I guess that's where ya going next? Good Luck and thanks again for fixing my baby -" he sniffled, "it means so much to me to have her back in order," Three Dog apprised Elias from over the amateur radio.

 _Wait, that's all he knows?!_

"Please tell me you know more than just that? A location and a name is not worth risking my life trying to evade a bunch of bloodthirsty mutants!" he spat in frustration. Such a small quantity of information would not suffice and he wasn't satisfied. He didn't even know what Rivet City was or where it was. If only the disk jockey had actually been listening to James when they conversed, perhaps then he could've provided a better explanation.

"Look kid, that's all I know. Besides this was what we agreed on, is it not?" he asked through the communications device.

The Lone Wanderer sighed, Three Dog may have used him but Elias could see why and couldn't completely blame him. He would've done the same thing in his position. Hell, maybe he really was helping the wasteland.

"What and where is Rivet City?" Elias inquired.

Eli could easily detect the surprise in his voice. "What? You've never heard of Rivet City?" he sighed, "Why am I surprised? Okay so it's the biggest settlement in the Capital Wastes, built inside an old aircraft carrier. You get there by following along the Potomac River." Elias picked up another voice telling Three Dog something, when he couldn't hear it any longer the radio host spoke up once more, "Sorry kid, I've got to end our chat here. Hope you find your father," he said genuinely before the communications was cut.

Exiting the Washington Monument, Elias made his way across to the Museum of History. A ghoul was lollygagging near to the entrance, when Elias approached she claimed that he was "tourist". After a short, pointless argument with her about it, Elias found himself beaten. She had a point. He shrugged it off with a curt, "Whatever" and left it at that.

When he entered he was met with a large, round greeting desk, not unlike the one in the Museum of Technology. Broken terminals were placed around the circle wooden frame of the desk. As soon as Elias walked in to the first display room, he was met with the top half of a dinosaur bone sculpture. It had fallen off the bottom half and was now almost blocking his access. Just a bit further into the display area was a large mammoth exhibit. The fact that it was still there and in such good condition after all these years, stunned him.

 _Woah_

He walked up to it with a dropped jaw, completely fascinated by it. He climbed up the display and was about to touch the woolly mammoth model when he heard a piercing shriek from behind a door behind him. His instincts told him to ignore it but he couldn't help himself. His attention rapt on the door, he slowly approached. The sign, made of a gold alloy, was covered in dust so he brushed his hand over it. _Lincoln_.

Fully convinced, he pushed open one of the doors and walked in.

* * *

"No fucking way," Elias muttered to himself in astonishment as he gazed into the display case. Inside, resting on a blue velvet pillow, was Abraham Lincoln's Repeater.

After fighting his way through hordes of feral ghouls in the building, Elias found Lincoln's legendary lever action. He had also found the man's top hat and was wearing it atop his own head, but the rifle easily trumped it.

 _Well, it's mine now_

He tried to lift the lid but it was jammed shut. He cursed under his breath and looked around the room for something to use a crowbar. He found a screwdriver inside a toolbox on a desk inside the office and rushed back over to the case.

With a grunt he pried the lid open and lifted it. A twinkle in his eye, the Wanderer picked the rifle up, slipping both hands underneath. Heedfully, he brushed a hand over the barrel. Not a scratch on it. The stock and fore-end were made of polished mahogany while the receiver was a gold alloy with ornate etchings engraved on it.

"Beautiful."

* * *

Elias promenaded into the Underworld Concourse wearing Lincolns hat and carrying his Repeater in both hands. The entrance had a large skull decoration at the top of the frame. A long red carpet was rolled out at the entrance and ended at the steps. He passed beneath the brick arch of the door way that acted as a gateway into Underworld. He was met by a ghoul in a greasy Robco jumpsuit.

"Oh, well would you look at that? We got us _another_ smoothskin visitor! What is this? The third? Hoooeee, what's going on?" he asked with strange enthusiasm. His interaction with 'Gob' the bartender at Moriarty's made him think that humans despised these ghouls.

Though Elias did breathe a sigh of relief that Lucy and Jericho had made it here safely. With a furrow of his brow, "Smoothskin?" he asked simply. Gob had called him that too.

The ghoul nodded. "Yeah, you know 'cause your skins so smooth… and tasty…" he finished with his voice lowered.

Elias cringed and recoiled back uneasily. As the ghoul observed Elias agitated baring he began laughing. "I'm just messin' with ya. You should've seen the look on your face!" he chortled, clutching his stomach as he pointed and continued laughing.

Elias regathered himself and frowned, glaring at the ghoul. "The two other 'smoothskins' you mentioned, where are they?"

The ghoul in the Robco jumpsuit composed himself and cleared his throat, with a look behind him, he informed, "I think they went to the bar, _The Ninth Circle_. Ahzrukhal runs the place." Pointing at a room on the second floor.

Elias scanned the large room laid out before him. Two stair cases were set on both walls with statues acting as pillars on the end. Large, scarlet banners were draped from the ceiling reading: Underworld. Elias nodded thankfully, but didn't head that way. Instead he went into what he assumed to be the general store.

A female ghoul was leaning on the counter, when he entered she immediately stood up, "Are you here to buy?" she asked keenly like she hadn't had a customer in months.

"Buy and sell," Elias corrected, removing his backpack to grab out excess items he didn't need. He sold the hunting rifle, a handful of grenades he stole off the mutants in the Museum of Technology, along with other miscellaneous items he had picked up over the span of the week.

He now had more caps than he could be bothered counting. He headed out and to the stairs. Lucy was making her way down and bumped into him. Dogmeat, that had been a few paces behind her, jumped up at the Lone Wanderer, licking his face. With a chuckle, Elias pat the hound on the head. "How 're doing boy? Did ya' miss me?" he asked as he scratched Dogmeat under the chin.

"Good to see you're still kicking," Lucy commented like she expected him to be super mutant lunch, a hand on her hip. They embraced for a few moments before she drew back to look at him. He had a broad grin on his face. "What's with the hat?" she asked, Elias could tell that she was partly interested and partly confused.

"It used to be Lincoln's," he said simply, tipping his hat to her.

Her confusion only grew. "As in Abraham Lincoln? The president?" she asked.

He walked past her before talking over his shoulder, "Yeah, found it and the rifle in the other area of the museum complex. Pretty sweet, huh?" he inquired with a complacent smirk. "Anyway, I know Jericho is a bigot towards ghouls, has he provoked anyone here, yet?"

"No, he took one look at the bouncer of the bar and shut up, I think he doesn't want to get jumped."

Elias didn't answer as she followed him into the bar.

An intimidatingly tall ghoul stood in the corner of the first section, silently observing over the bar. But it wasn't the ghost-like quietude that freaked the Lone Wanderer out the most, it was the frightening look on his face that said one thing; _'Don't fuck with me'._ He would make the perfect bouncer, which he probably was. He was wearing sturdy leather armour like that of Jericho's with a robust, powerful combat shotgun over his back. Elias also noticed that he carried a machete, similar to his own, that he had sheathed on his back, down at his waist. The sight of him alone would make Elias shut up too, and it did.

Another shorter and slimmer ghoul made his way over. He was clearly drunk by the way he swayed side to side slightly as he walked. He went right up into the larger ghoul's face and tapped him on the shoulder. "I just wanna tell yoouu"- he was cut off by his own burp, "that… that dis beer tassste waterrreed dowwwnn," he slurred, lifting up a beer bottle with a small amount of liquid still swishing inside.

The taller ghoul glared threateningly at him, just daring him to act out. "Speak with Ahzrukhal," he growled in a course tone, like he hadn't talked in years.

The other ghoul shook his head in protest. "But-"

"Talk-to-Ahzrukhal," he replied loutishly, too impatient to discuss the topic further.

The drunken zombie wasn't satisfied with that answer and frowned angrily at him. "You know whaaat? Fuck you! Fuck your shiiittty drinks too!" he garbled in frustration before attacking the bouncer with a jab to the chest. The punch was slack, Elias doubted the taller ghoul even felt it, but that one act of contact was enough to provoke him.

The drunk ghoul came off second best as the larger ghoul grabbed the short zombie by the neck with an iron grip, choking him before tossing him onto a table with brute strength. The table, being as old as it looked, snapped in half and collapsed as the ghoul came flying on to it. The body didn't move or make a sound.

The bar was completely silent and still, Elias had no doubt that one would have been able to hear a pin drop. The tension in the air was palpable. Elias wondered if anyone was stupid enough to stand up for the ghoul that flew into the table. Apparently not. Maybe it was just the drunks.

The silence was broken when a ghoul in a dirty pre-war suit came through the doors, walking in and past the Lone Wanderer and his female companion, not noticing them. He strolled up to the table that had broken with the unconscious drunk and started laughing, he turned to the bouncer. "Back at it again, eh Charon?" he asked with a strange foreign accent that was much deeper and gravelly than the other ghouls Elias had encountered.

'Charon' didn't respond, staring blanking at the ghoul. But behind those eyes, Elias saw something he found intriguing: Hatred.

The ghoul in the suit shrugged and went behind the counter, that's when Elias spotted Jericho. He was at a stool by himself, drinking. A sigh escaped Elias mouth. Of course, he was.

Elias was beginning to find that ghoul bouncer exponentially more and more interesting. The ghoul behind the counter seemed to be the owner so he walked up to him. The ghoul spoke first,

"Ah its always great to see another customer in my lovely haven I call the Ninth Circle. Ghoul, human… I don't care. The caps all spend the same. How can I help you?" He spoke well-manneredly but Elias detected a certain beguile about it. Especially after the display he had witnessed not too long ago.

"Who is that guy in the corner?" said Elias as he sat down at a stool, casting the bouncer a quick glance once he was seated.

The ghoul looked up at Charon who was quietly watching them. "Ah, Charon. Let's just say he's… well he's a loyal employee. Don't mess with me or my bar and he won't mess with you," Ahzrukhal explained briefly, a small smile playing on his lips. He seemed impressed with himself that he managed to claim such a devoted servant.

Elias squinted at him in suspicion. "What does he do for you?"

Ahzrukhal shrugged. "Watches over the bar, keeps the drunks in line. Pretty much, I point at something and Charon hurts it. I guess," he said before adding, "He's the best thug a humble bartender, like me, could ever ask for."

Elias raised a brow. "So he's your slave?" he asked calmly. Elias didn't want to seem perturbed by it, hoping to gain this man's trust but instead Ahzrukhal appeared highly offended.

"You insult me, good sir. I do not believe in slavery. It is an abomination!" he exclaimed. "The matters of our contract are between me and Charon, no one else," he finished sternly. Challenging him to continue to press the subject.

Elias' face remained composed. "I want to buy Charon's contract off you."

Jericho's whisky bursts out of his mouth, "What did you say?" he asked from two stools over, looking at Elias like he'd just grown two heads.

Even Lucy frowned in confusion, having no idea what he was planning. Did they have enough caps?

Ahzrukhal smiled. "Hmm, give me an offer and I'll decide."

Elias reached into his bag and pulled out the Vault-Tec lunch box containing all his caps and set it on the counter in front of him. He opened the lid and turned it round for the ghoul bartender to see. "1200 caps for Charon's contract," he said confidently.

Jericho's jaw hung wide, even he wouldn't do something as dumb as giving up every single cap he owned.

Lucy glanced nervously at the stunned raider then to Elias again, hoping that he knew what he was doing.

The Wanderer knew for a fact that there wasn't even close to one thousand caps in that lunchbox, but he doubted Ahzrukhal would count. The number of caps filled the entire container, so much so that he had trouble closing it now. It certainly seemed legitimate.

The corrupt bartender nodded his head in agreement. "Hmm that could work… add that rifle on your back and you've got yourself a deal."

Eli looked at his new rifle, he had barely had it for an hour and he would already be losing it. But freeing a slave was worth it…

"Deal."

Ahzrukhal's smile was devilish and somewhat creepy. "Here's Charon's contract, I'll give you the pleasure of informing him of his new ownership yourself". Elias had to fight the urge to scowl at him as he handed over the caps and rifle, the way he said 'Ownership' as if Charon was just some object to be brought, used and thrown away once he was no longer useful.

Elias got up and walked up to Charon. "Hey there."

The gruff ghoul stared at him blankly with open disinterest. "Talk to Ahzru-" he stopped when he saw what Elias was holding up in his hand. Flashing the slip of paper like it was a check for a million caps.

Elias smiled when he noticed the shocked expression on the ghoul's face. "Good News, you won't be working for Ahzrukhal anymore."

"You purchased my contract from Ahzrukhal? So I am no longer in his service?" The ghoul looked at the ground then back up at Elias. "This _is_ good news. Hold on," he said, giving Eli a reassuring nod.

As Charon walked, he retrieved his combat shotgun from his back. When he reached the counter, he stopped and glared at the bartender who was opening his safe in the wall to stash the lunchbox full of caps inside.

When Ahzrukhal noticed Charon, he smiled. "Ah, come to say goodbye have we, Charon?" he asked, actually believing the ghoul would miss him.

The tall ghoul aimed his shotgun. "Yes," was his blunt reply as he blew the bartenders head into chunks of bloody gore and brains. Splattering against the cupboard and painting the alcohol bottles inside with the sickening red liquid. The rest of the body fell to the ground as a large pool of crimson began to form around it. Revenge in cold blood.

Charon jumped over the counter and seized the lunchbox full of Elias' caps and his Lincoln's Repeater. He made his way back over to the astonished Lone Wanderer and presented the items to him.

"Come on, we should get out of here," he advised as he handed the gun and caps over.

 _This isn't stealing, right?_

"Uh... Yeah, good idea."

* * *

When the four companions walked out of Underworld, Jericho howled with laughter. "I can't believe you did that!" he exclaimed as he burst into more fits of laughter, slapping the ghoul on the back.

Charon remained expressionless and said nothing, but in his eyes shone amusement.

Elias gathered them in a group. "I'm Elias and this is Lucy," he introduced, gesturing the blond girl in the group.

"Nice to meet you." She nodded to him, her hands remaining on her hips.

"And this is Jericho," Elias said, looking at the former raider who was almost out of breath as his laughter raged on.

"Oh God, I think we are going to get along just fine," Jericho said once he had composed himself as much as possible.

Charon managed a small, awkward smile. "Thank you, Elias," he responded gratefully. "I am forever in your debt."

Elias shook his head. "Oh no, no. You don't owe me anything. I paid for your contract but ended up getting the caps returned anyway." He laughed. Reaching into a satchel attached to his belt, he pulled the piece of paper out.

"Here, you are the master of your own destiny and your own life," he quoted with a genuine smile as he handed over the contract to Charon.

The ghoul stared at it in his hands. "You have shown me more kindness and compassion today than I have ever had the pleasure of seeing in my entire life." Elias detected something peculiar in the ghoul's voice that he would never had expected: sorrow. Charon looked up at the Lone Wanderer. "No one may own me now but perhaps I could accompany you on your journey?"

Elias nodded. "Sure, always room for one more." Grinning, "Right guys?" he asked his two other companions.

Lucy shrugged. "As long as they aren't like Jericho here."

Jericho frowned at her but ignored her snide remark. "This is about the size I'm used to working with from the old days, but no more additions to this little group of yours. I don't want to deal with overcrowding."

"So, Charon, Buddy." Jericho wrapped an arm around their newest addition as they walked to the exit of the museum. Both his words and the action eliciting a cold glare from Charon. "Do you mind if I call you zombie?" The glare intensified. Jericho caught on. "How about Ghoulie? No?"

The sight in front of Elias as he stepped into the reception nearly sent him recoiling back.

A redheaded woman lay draped over the front desk, body limp, like a towel… a very _bloodied_ towel, crimson tendrils of blood seeping out from under her. As Elias drew nearer, he realised she was startlingly anaemic, languid and feeble. Covered in gashes and lacerations, recent, all over her body. Her unique camo-green combat armour broken and torn.

Jericho had the same reaction. "What the fuck?!"


	6. Chapter 6: Reilly's Rangers

**Inspiration: Thenthapple's lore videos on the 'Our Lady of Hope Hospital' and the 'Statesman Hotel' of Fallout 3. Check them out if you haven't seen them.**

 **Shout outs: Mandalore the Freedom, Guest 1 (July 13), draven32, Mangobait and Guest 2 (August 3). Thank you all for taking the time to review.**

 **A/N: Sorry this took a little while to get out, life got busy and I wanted this to be a long chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 6: Reilly's Rangers

Elias gently placed two fingers at the woman's neck. "She still has a pulse." Faint, but there. "Help me lift her," he said to no-one in particular. "We have to get her back into Underworld." If they moved fast, she could still be saved.

Lucy, since she was the closest, wrapped one of the woman's arms over her shoulders as Elias took the other side.

The duo conveyed the injured redheaded woman into Underworld, almost dragging her since she was barely conscious enough to move her legs to walk or limp. They took her to the clinic that was located on the posterior wall of the main room. There, Doctor Barrows had her hooked up to an IV and she was laid onto one of the infirmary cots.

"How long do you think she'll be out?" Elias asked, leaning against the wall near the entrance. He had been watching over her for the three hours she'd been there. Making sure the ghouls knew what they were doing and helping out where he could. The blood had been washed and her cuts had been stitched back up, with stimpaks applied beside them to accelerate the healing process. Her ruined combat armour getup had been replaced with a simple green tunic and pair of black paramilitary pants.

"She won't wake up for another few hours at most," Doctor Barrows told him without so much as a glance up from his clipboard as he ticked off his list. He whistled. "She's going to have one hefty bill when she awakens," he muttered to himself with a disbelieving look in his eye as he gazed down at the clipboard.

The Lone Wanderer didn't need to think to answer. "I'll pay it."

Barrows glanced up at him and locked eyes. "Will you, young man? You aren't even aware of the price. It could be ten thousand caps!" he used as an example, even if it were overly exaggerated.

Perhaps Elias' move was precipitous but he had a good feeling that he wouldn't regret it. He had studied her armour once it had been taken from her person. It was a spring green army camo colour with some sort of logo of a four-leaf clover with two crossed scimitars in front. He deduced that the clover represented luck and the scimitar their battle prowess. On the other side of the chest piece read 'Reilly's Rangers'. He inferred that she was from a mercenary group and if his assumptions were correct and she was this 'Reilly' then that would make her the leader. A mercenary group on his side would be an invaluable asset to him so he decided he would aid them in any way possible.

"I doubt that very many people could afford that. Besides you have only used gauze, stitches and your other medical instruments. The stimpaks were provided by me. You'll charge extra because of the time it took and the cot, so the fee shouldn't be any more than three hundred caps," Elias listed, countenance impassive.

Barrows furrowed the remains of his brow with a small smile on his face. "You a doctor or something? 'cause your pretty smart for a kid." He placed the clipboard on his desk behind him and crossed his arms. "Yep the bill is two hundred and fifty caps, you still going to pay it?" he asked.

As Elias counted out the caps, both he and Barrows were drawn to the sound of a gasp from behind them. The woman had awoken and was sitting up in the bed gazing around the room in confusion.

"What? Where… am I? What's going on?" Her baffled expression still lingering. She made an attempt to stand but Elias moved over and urged her to stay seated.

"Easy, don't get up too fast. You're safe, in Underworld," Elias soothed, crouching down beside her and resting a hand on her shoulder.

She clutched her head and squeezed her eyes shut, groaning in pain. "How long have I been out?" she asked through clenched teeth.

With a quick look back at Barrows, he answered, "A few hours. What difference does it make?"

The woman winced as she rotated her shoulder, staring at the floor. "Well, I don't know actually… kind of confused." Then realisation hit her. "Wait! Oh shit! My men, my team! What the hell happened?" She stood up abruptly, not giving a shit about the pain the shot up through her legs at the sudden movement.

Elias flinched like he felt the aching she was experiencing himself. "Hey, hey relax. You were badly injured… now can you tell me who you are?" he inquired after ushering her to sit back down. She calmed down, but only slightly. Still visibly stiff.

"I'm sorry. The names Reilly. As in THE Reilly of Reilly's Rangers," she affirmed confidently, accentuating the 'The'.

Elias grinned. "I knew it." Complacent with his educated guess.

The corners of her mouth curved up in a smile. "You're pretty sharp, kid. We pack some serious firepower…" She frowned sadly as her smile faded. "Of course, that didn't help us when we were getting our asses handed to us. I didn't expect to make it out alive."

Elias squinted at her. "How did this all happen in the first place?"

She looked to the floor, sighed. "We were out mapping the Vernon Square part of the ruins when we were jumped by a super mutant ambush party. Usually it isn't a problem, but this one was much bigger than any other. We fought our way into the Our Lady of Hope Hospital, hoping to find some cover but…" she trailed off.

Elias frowned. "More uglies?" It was hardly a question.

Head nodding her head in confirmation, Reilly let a sigh escape her lips. "Yup, they just kept coming! Eventually, the fight spilled out to the Statesman Hotel and we ran all the way to the roof." Disappointment shone in her eyes. Elias guessed it was in her self and couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

Elias sat down on an infirmary bed opposite her, leaning in. "So that leaves them up there... how'd you end up at the history museum?"

Reilly sat up straight on the bed. "Ah, it was my bad idea I'm afraid. I tried to sneak out using a stealth boy but once it wore off I ran into a super mutant ambush patrol and had to retreat into the metro. Damn near ripped my arm off in the process. I followed the subway till I reached this place. Some rescue attempt, huh?"

A surge of a conviction overtook him, he stood up and offered her a hand. "Let's go bring your Rangers home." They were going to extricate the rest of the Rangers and get them out safely. Elias was certain of it.

Her face betrayed her shock. "What? Are you serious?! I… mean, not that I'm ungrateful or anything but… well I didn't even have to ask for your help."

With a small chuckle, Elias said, "It's called 'initiative'. I've got three companions and a dog loitering around somewhere. We'll be glad to help." Hand still held out, willing her to take it.

She looked down as the revelation filtered into her mind then she glanced back up and took his hand. "Thank you, you have no idea how much this means to me..." She shook her head. "Ah, look at me, going soft all of a sudden."

With a smile, Elias walked over to the table with her gear, the actual combat armour pieces themselves were still wearable, in drastic need of repairs but wearable. It was just the undershirt and army pants that needed replacement, though she could probably fasten the armour over the top of the of the clothes she was currently clad in. Her SMG, assault rifle and combat knife were also still useable.

Once she had finished equipping herself and the fee was paid, she and Elias exited the clinic to round up Elias' little gang. Lucy, Charon and Dogmeat were seated on a bench, watching a fight unravel in the centre of the room as was every other ghoul resident.

When Elias' neared he realised the two fighting were some ghoul he didn't recognise and Jericho. His hand slapped his face and dragged down as he groaned in frustration. He didn't need to deal with this right now. The ghoul residents of underworld were cheering and shouting, encouraging them on with their fists thrust in the air. Well, the ghoul anyway.

Reilly noticed his irritated demeanour. "One of yours?" she asked simply.

Elias looked at her and sighed. "You guessed it."

To her credit, Reilly didn't reply, finding nothing suitable to respond with.

Jericho was knocked down into a wooden bench, he spat out bloodied saliva and sent his assailant a toothy grin. His arms were draped over the piece of furniture either side of him to stabilise himself.

"Charon, you don't mind grabbing him, do you?" Elias questioned as the tall ghoul turned to him. A frazzled look on his face that said one thing: _I don't have time for this shit_

"Not at all," Charon replied casually. The corners of his mouth raised slightly in the barest form of a smile. For him though, that was the equivalent of grinning like a fool.

The group strolled past the congregation of ghouls that had formed, Charon halted to latch a hand onto Jericho's ankle before dragging him by the foot toward the exit.

Jericho was surprised at first but then a wide, bloodied grin formed on his face as he realised what was happening. He looked up, or down in his case, to see his ghoul opponent who was looking around at the crowd in confusion. Not understanding what was happening. Jericho erected his middle finger and cast it in the ghoul's general direction before disappearing through the doors.

* * *

 **Reilly's POV:**

After a scolding lecture from Elias that Jericho took little to no interest in and once they had gotten their introductions out of the way, the group were on the move. Following Reilly and her trail of blood through the underground subway tunnels. Along the way, Reilly explained why they would have to go through the hospital instead of directly entering the Statesman to get up to the roof. Majority of the hotel was demolished. The only two entries she knew of were the hospital, which she and her team used and the elevator from the lower levels. Though that was damaged and in need of repairs. So they would follow in the footsteps of her team, but hopefully this time wouldn't end up in the same position.

They exited the metro and emerged into the light of dawn, hiking up the escalators and into the heart of Vernon Square.

Reilly was disrupted from her thoughts by Elias, her newfound friend. "From what you described, I would've assumed the place was flooded with super mutants. There's only one I can see," he joked from somewhere behind her.

The mercenary leader didn't respond for a moment, scanning the street, the buildings, every nook and cranny her eye could spot. He was correct in his statement, there was only one mutant in sight. It was patrolling over a bridge that stretched over the train tracks. "Somethings not right here…" she trailed.

Jericho snorted before blurting, "Do you hear that?"

Everyone turned their focus to him, wondering what the hell he meant. They couldn't hear anything.

"Silence," the old man whispered, allowing the wind to carry his words.

And for a moment there was a shocked still as the five of them adjusted to the absence of noise. No crack of gunfire, no screams of victims, no nothing. Just the quiet inhale and exhale of air between them. It was… peaceful. And when a place was peaceful in the wasteland, you knew something was up. This part of DC just oozed 'ominous'.

Reilly skulked forward to take cover behind a pre-war car. Waving to the others to do the same. They ducked down, sitting on the balls of their feet as they crouched.

"There's a lot less muties here than I initially anticipated. It's probably a guise. I want you all to expect to be ambushed at every turn," she announced in a whisper, taking charge of the situation. Reilly glanced back in the patrolling mutant's direction, it had one of its meaty fingers up its nose, she heard someone snicker at the sight. "Our target is the hospital, Elias I want you to take out our friend here," she requested, pointing up at the only mutant who was still digging for gold up its nostrils. "Jericho, cover him and watch for any more that decide to show themselves. Lucy, Charon watch my six, were going to make a run for the doors and clear any mutants at the entrance. We'll go from there."

She turned back to them. "Is that clear?"

Charon saluted back at her. "Crystal, ma'am!"

She thought the gesture odd and unnecessary but figured that was just something the ghoul did.

Elias was struggling to keep himself composed and supress his laughter that so eagerly wished to burst from his mouth, so he was left snorting air and grinning like an idiot.

"We clear?" she questioned again, though it was more to Elias than the rest of them, a frown threatening to overtake her face.

"You're the boss."

Reilly raised a brow, wondering what he was implying before coming to the realisation of what he meant. She seemed to have intruded on their freedom and expected them to follow orders like they were really part of her team. And dismissing Elias' leadership altogether. Even if it was unintentional, she still felt bad.

She lowered her gaze. "Sorry. You aren't soldiers and I shouldn't be ordering you all around."

The blondie mumbled something, probably snide, under her breath that Reilly didn't quite hear.

Elias waved her off. "It's fine. I'm sure you were only doing what comes naturally to you. Your plan is great though so I think we'll follow your lead."

Reilly guided Lucy, Charon and their dog to the entrance as she heard the bang of Elias' repeater. It was a fancy looking weapon, she'd have to ask him how he acquired it later. When they weren't so _busy_.

The blondie, Lucy was her name, had her head inclined to the floors above them, a bewildered look on her face. "Wait, hold on. We're crossing THAT?!" she spat, speaking of the fallen power pylon that would provide their entry to the statesman hotel. It looked like a girder from where they were standing. The thing had conveniently lodged itself in between both the Our Lady of Hope Hospital and the Statesman Hotel. "I swear to God if it collapses…"

Reilly shook her head. "It won't, I assure you. It was sturdy enough to support my team and I, plus a bombardment of Super Mutants that weigh God-Knows-How-Much. If anything's going to get us across, it's that."

Lucy pursed her lips in thought, having nothing to revoke with but the unconvinced reluctance was still there. "Alright," she conceded.

They assembled in front of the doors. Right beside them was an old army convoy with the skeletal remains of some soldiers.

Reilly hand-signalled the numbers: one, two, three before kicking in the wooden double doors. As soon as she entered and walked through the reception, she was met with at least four uglies. All armed to the teeth, one brute had even got his oversized hands on a minigun. Her eyes widened. This was not good.

Ducking behind a flipped coffee table she turned to the other two. Charon blew the brains out of one after the blond threw a knife at its eye. Throwing knifes? Who the hell had time to learn how to use those?

The question was erased from her mind when Lucy flung another into the throat of a mutant trying to sneak past them and probably attempt a flanking. She answered her question herself: _that girl._

Reilly wasn't going to be missing out on the action, she hopped over the table, running and gunning at the minigun mutant. Its deadly weapon whined into life, hurtling bullet after bullet in her direction and peppering the wall instead of her body like intended. She slid, feet first, behind a pair of benches that were placed back to back of each other, rustling papers and rubbish on the ground. Pain throbbed in her abdomen from where her largest stitched laceration was located, maybe rolling out so soon after her treatment was a bad idea. She poked her assault rifle over the top of the armrest, shooting blindly.

The familiar bang of a lever action announced Elias' presence. She glanced up at the hospital's main entrance and sure enough he and his edgy older friend had arrived.

Her gaze shifted to the minigun brute, Elias must've landed a hit on its hand or somewhere near since it dropped the gun and grasped its large hand with the other. Howling its pain for all to hear, Reilly decided to end the thing's suffering by putting a bullet in its brain.

"That went well," someone commented.

"Yeeeeeehhhhhaaaaaaaaaa!"

Everyone turned towards the source of the maniacal screams. Ah, of course. The fourth mutant. In one last desperate attempt, it sprayed its hunting rifle at her until the clip ran dry. A few bullets hit her square in the chest… or rather: _chest_ -piece. Her combat armour managed to soak up the damage but that didn't stop the force of the rounds. She staggered a bit with a grunt. She was going to need to replace this gear when they got back to compound.

Before anyone could offer their help, a high-pitched whelp forced their attention back to the mutant. A blade had been thrust deep inside its chest from behind. The blade was then drawn back for another blow, in this case, a slash across the back.

The mutant dropped to its knees and she could've sworn it said something along the lines of "…never stop us…" before crashing to the ground face-first. Leaving a bloodied ghoul in its place. Charon shook his machete of mutant crimson then sheathed it back in its scabbard.

Everyone's eyebrows were raised. Who couldn't have been impressed?

The ghoul looked up at the mouth-agape faces staring dumbly at him. "What?" he asked them all.

Elias shook his head with a grin. "So far, so good. Let's keep moving."

The merc, Jericho and Lucy all stopped to loot the bodies of the mutants. Reilly and Jericho took more rounds for their rifles while Lucy retrieved her two knifes.

Elias was ahead, dashing up the stairs to the second floor to surgical part of the hospital when they heard the unmistakable beeping of a mine. The kid must have recognised the sound since as fast as he could, he dove over the side of the staircase as the mine exploded. Landing flat on the ground. The super mutant corpse the mine had been concealed by, blew into thousands of tiny chunks that flew in every direction.

Groaning, Elias pushed himself back up.

"Sorry, I forgot to warn you," Reilly apologies, rushing over to make sure he was alright. "When we were fleeing, we set up a load of traps to keep the mutants off our backs." Feeling as she were the one to blame as she held out a hand to help him up. Thankfully they had used a sensory mine that picked up movement before it detonated rather than those pressure mines or Elias would have lost his legs.

"No worries," he replied with a tired smile, accepting her hand.

"It might be a good idea to split up and search for medical supplies, we are in a hospital after all," Lucy put forward. "Best to take advantage of that."

Elias nodded. "Good idea."

Reilly's buried anxiety that she'd been trying to supress surfaced. They didn't have time for this, every second they wasted was a second they could be getting closer to saving her Rangers. But she didn't control them and didn't want to waste any more precious minutes arguing about it. "Just make it quick, alright?"

The group dispersed on the lobby floor, stripping any containers of medical supplies and bagging them. They would probably come in handy. Her team had tried to grab as many stray meds they could find while they were in here but had very little time to do so.

Skeletons of unlucky pre-war hospital patients were littered all over the place like giant ants in an ant mound. Especially in the beds and on recovery tables, disturbingly enough. Reilly noticed one that looked as if it were reaching out to another on the bed opposite it. As if they knew they were going to die. Did these people really deserve the bombs?

"A bomb couldn't have killed them," she heard Elias say from behind, as if somehow reading her thoughts. "Look, everything else in the place is mostly intact. Something else ended their lives."

Reilly offered him an impressed look. "Very perceptive of you."

The older guy in his group, Jericho, scoffed from out of the hallway. "Why do you care about something that took place over a hundred and eighty years before you were born? It's ancient history!" he exclaimed, though it didn't seem like he expected or cared enough for an answer since he kept walking down the hall and out of earshot.

"Which is exactly why I find it interesting," muttered Elias.

Moments later, they regrouped and continued to move. Heading up the stairs and leaving the lobby behind. They were met with a collapsed staircase directly ahead that prevented them from reaching the roof of the building. But thankfully it was the next building over's roof that she wished to get to.

Reilly came to a halt when a certain and all too familiar, execrable but still bearable scent filtered up her nostrils.

"What the hell? Gas?" Elias questioned as a suggestion, from beside her. That's what the smell was! Two century year old gas. It had befuddled her the first time she came through here with the Rangers but it wasn't her first encounter. They had been through gas ridden metro tunnels before and nearly died when it exploded with the slightest spark.

Lucy pulled a handkerchief out of nowhere and tied it around her lower face as a bandana. Why was she the only one clever enough to think of that? Everyone else had to tug up the collars of their shirts to partially block their sense of smell.

Being the kind person she had shown she was, Lucy grabbed a spare shirt from Elias' bag and put it to Dogmeat's keen nose. Though, how much good it would do, Reilly wasn't sure.

Just to the left was the hallway, on the left side of that was the cafeteria. That cafeteria led to the pylon that reached over to the Statesman. Maybe they could pull this off after all.

She decided to take a gander inside, expecting at least a few of her favourite wasteland freaks. Sure enough, three mutants and one of those hideous centaurs were there. And no, not the mythical creature centaur that was half man, half horse like she'd seen in pre-war books. This was some grotesque abomination that crawled up from the deepest pits of hell, not like the super mutant wasn't a monstrosity of nature itself but this beat it by a long shot.

These centaurs were horribly disfigured creatures and looked like a combination of mainly human and some other animals. Though why anyone would want to intertwine DNA like that was beyond her. It had a torso that was missing arms with a mouth that was filled to the brink with slimy tentacles that it used to whip at an enemy if it got too close. And instead of legs, it had a multitude of human arms that it used to drag itself around. These things could haunt dreams.

A thought came to her. Maybe she could use the gas leakage to her advantage.

She turned to the others who were trying to get a look inside as well, she gestured them to move away from the door and back through the doors to the lobby, in case the mutants heard them.

"Give me as many explosives as you can spare, I've got an idea."

Elias especially, looked confused but handed her a frag grenade anyway. Charon and Lucy also contributed a few more fragmentation grenades but Jericho granted her a Molotov. Excellent, this was just what she needed.

With the others waiting on the other side of the doors to the lobby as she instructed, Reilly tied the frag grenades together in a bundle and secured it tight. When she was satisfied she pulled the pins off them all as she ran into the cafeteria.

"Surprise Motherfuckers!"

Reilly pitched the clump of grenades towards where the mutants were standing, they gave her a few dumb looks. Probably wondering what was going on. Just as she went to exit back into the hallway and head back into the lobby, she lobbed the Molotov over for them as well.

 _Enjoy!_

She knew her explosive had worked when a sudden blinding light flashed behind her as she made a sharp turn. It was then followed by a frightening roar. She felt the heat of the flames on her neck as they engulfed the entire rooms behind and chased after her through the rest of the hall.

Reilly dived through the doors, before they were quickly shoved closed by Charon and Jericho.

The shockwaves of the eruption jolted the doors a few times before it died down again.

"Holy shit. You're just as crazy as us!" Jericho exclaimed.

They saw a large horde of super mutants enter through the reception and also come out from the patient medical bays. They spotted the group and began firing. Finding no better option, Reilly decided they should run. _Real fast._

After passing through the cleared cafeteria, kitchen and taking a short staircase, the group spilled out the side of the hospital by means of a hole in the wall that they used as a doorway. A doorway either out of hell or to it, she couldn't decide. There, they took in the sight of the fallen power pylon that would get them across to the Statesman and one step closer to rescuing the rest of the Rangers.

Reilly stepped forward and pointed across at the side with her free hand. "When you get across, take cover behind those filing cabinets and keep your weapons trained on the hospital," she commanded before the group was welcomed by the yells of incoming super mutants. "Go, Go, Go!" she barked.

Despite obviously disliking taking orders, Jericho followed them without complaint; the first to run across to the statesman. Charon following closely behind him. Lucy pulled the pin of a frag grenade and rolled it through the hole in the wall, likely hoping to stall the mutants. She then sprinted across their bridge to join the others.

At halfway on the pylon, Reilly noticed Elias wasn't with them. She turned to look over her shoulder. "Elias, what the hell are you waiting for?" she shouted over at him.

He was nervously glancing over the edge of the building, standing next to his dog that was scuffing his paw at the pylon uncertainly with him.

Wait, was he afraid of heights?

More uglies of varying ranges of hideousness came into view, flushing out behind Elias to replace those killed in the grenade explosion. Elias glanced back at them and tensed up in alarm, scooped Dogmeat up in his arms and vaulted onto the pylon. Disregarding any fear he previously held to heights for the moment. It seemed the epinephrine had kicked in.

Two followed him on, deciding it was such a genius idea to begin jumping up and down. It was clear what they intended to do, bounce until it collapsed beneath them. Though why, she wasn't sure. If they let the bridge fall, how the hell were they supposed to pursue? Then it hit her. They thought the mutants already at the Statesman would deal with them. Not a good sign.

Jericho flung a grenade over his filing cabinet cover. It landed in between the two dumb ass mutants, killing them both as the force of the explosion sent them flying off the pylon. But the floor also took the full force of the blow, loosening more. Threatening to brake away.

Dashing across the rest of the pylon, Elias threw Dogmeat up to their platform to be caught by Jericho who promptly dropped him soon after, ensuring his dog's safety but not his own. The floor of the hospital that had held the pylon on that side collapsed underneath it, sending it down to rest on the floor beneath.

Elias fell with it, sliding along until he managed to grasp hold of a metal beam on the pylon so that he wouldn't slip off the edge. He dangled there for a second, looking like he desperately needed to catch his breath. The pylon lurched a little, Elias dangling even more precariously than before. The machete he had at his thigh wasn't fastened properly and dropped down. What if that was him? She would hate to lose him. She couldn't lose another solider; Dallas, Kira and Theo's deaths were already torture enough. What had she done to deserve such rotten luck?

A superstitious man would have crossed his fingers, but she was fairly certain none could do anything but hold their breath and hope for the best.

A mutant with a spiked club from the hospital side jumped down onto the pylon, a sickening grin on its face. The pylon groaned its protest beneath the mutant's weight. It would not hold out much longer.

Seeing what she was seeing, Elias scrambled back onto the pylon. Teetering a bit before regaining his balance. This was his last chance. He raced up the pylon and towards them and the Statesman.

Reilly heard and saw the cracks of the concrete beneath their feet. It was going to give way. Right now.

"Everyone get back!" she warned. Everyone with her complied, shifting back against the wall, as far away from the pylon as possible. Well, everyone except Lucy.

"Elias Jump!" Lucy advised in a yell.

He did as he was told, leaping up at them, arms flailing about mid-air. He managed to grab hold of Lucy's forearm and she his. But they were too close to the pylon. The floor beneath Lucy gave way. Letting her and Elias tumble down to the lower floor with pained cries.

Reilly looked over the edge down at them. "Shit. Are you two alright?" she called, gritting her teeth.

Muffled groans and Elias calling, "We're fine," assured her that they were alive.

The two got up from the pile of rubble, it looked like Elias had just narrowly missed being impaled onto a pole of rebar. She watched Lucy brush his chest of dust and dirt for him and he smiling back at her with a crooked grin. She found the interaction interesting and somehow… cute.

Elias looked around, probably for somewhere to climb back up to the floor everyone else was on. But the debris was too loose and climbing up two and something meters would take too long.

"Well find another way around and meet up with you," Elias hollered.

Reilly nodded, knowing they would fine, and turned into the Statesman Hotel.

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

As the others that had made it onto the correct floor drifted inside the building, Elias turned to Lucy. "Don't know anyone I'd rather be stuck with," he commented, flashing her a grin. Knowing full well the statement would cause her cheeks to redden.

Lucy looked away, confirming the fact for him, and walked inside the hotel. "C'mon _Charmer_ , we've got to hurry if we want to catch up with the others," she said over her shoulder.

Elias shook his head at the epithet she used for him and followed after her. "They'll wait for us," he responded certainly.

After hearing that, his blond friend looked over her shoulder. "Yes, but the Rangers wont," he replied with that sass he found irresistible.

Nodding his head dumbly, he continued after her.

The Statesman was very different to the hospital, a worn red carpet was rolled out through the hall. The furniture looked like it was once expensive, especially the beds and their fancy designs imprinted on the frames. The place looked like it was a luxury before the war, and catered to those of a wealthier class. Now though, it was merely a mouldy, dank and stale super mutant hive. A shithole.

Most parts of the walls had been knocked down, most likely by the muties. Which left the duo with plenty of passage ways to manoeuvre through, but also a great many ways to get lost. They needed to find a stairwell to get to the next floor up.

They only came across one super mutant while they were down here, the rest seemed drawn to the gunfire of the rest of the team from above, presumably flocking up there to assist their mutant brothers. Which meant there was a way up somewhere near.

Elias and Lucy took a wrong turn into one of the suites and found themselves at a dead end. They were about to leave when Elias spied something peculiar in a skeleton's hand.

"Wait, hold on," he requested to Lucy.

He waltzed up to the remains that was resting on a single bed and grabbed hold of what had caught his attention. A holotape. Elias slid it in his Pip-boy and pressed 'play', a voice of an older man came through his wrist device's speakers:

 _"My dearest little moonbeam, I know you've been waiting to hear what happened to me. I'm sorry I left you like I did, an important deal came up. One that might've let us get away from the shack we were living in. I came to the Statesman to meet the buyer… but the deal went bad. We shot each other… and now… I think I'm dying. I won't make it out of this place, the ruins are crawling with super mutants. All I can do is record this and then hide up in one of the rooms. You're a strong girl, and I know you'll use everything I taught you to stay alive… please forgive me sweetie. I only… I only wanted to make the best for us. Daddy loves you very much. Goodbye…"_

The Pip-boy clicked to signify the end of the recording. He didn't know what to think. It was so… depressing. A father who wanted to do right by his child but was killed in the process.

Lucy's face had softened in sympathy for them. "I hope the daughter is okay," she muttered.

Elias nodded his head but didn't reply. It was all too familiar to his own story; runaway father… what if something similar to this happened to his dad? No, he wasn't going to fill his head with doubts. His father had told him before not to think so negatively. Everything was going to be fine, he'd find his dad and everything would go back to normal. _Right?_

The two companions exited the room in silence when all of a sudden, they heard a green-skin brute laugh and yell out, "Found you!"

It charged Elias before he had time to process what was going on, his head was grabbed and jolted through a window, the ancient glass smashed on impact and allowed Elias head through with no resistance. The mutant then attempted to force his skull down onto a shard of the glass that was still glued to the window frame and poking up at his face like a stalagmite of a cave, glinting at him as if knowing he was going to be pierced in the cranium with it.

Elias gripped the windowsill and pushed against the strength of the mutant whose throaty laughs in his ear were only making the situation worse. His teeth were clenched and his eyes screwed shut; if he was going to have his head ran through with a piece of glass, he wasn't going to watch.

His strength waning, Elias felt his head lower. _This is it,_ he thought, _I'm going to die by compressed sand._

But before his head was impaled, the mutant let go as it howled in pain. Elias blinked and looked up at it to see Lucy clung to the beast's back, an arm around its throat with a knife fisted in her other hand. She dove her blade into the ugly's chest multiple times, its blood splashed out at Elias who winced and backed up against the wall.

She grunted before the final thrust of her knife landed in the side of the mutant's head.

The corpse crashed to the ground and its head lolled to the side. Elias took a deep breath. "Remind me not to piss you off," he said, partly impressed and partly relieved. He put a hand to his neck that was stinging painfully from the mutant's grip on it.

Lucy wiped her face of blood with her forearm but the movement only smudged it in. "You can thank me later," she promised and he was fairly certain she said it as an innuendo, especially since immediately after she flashed him a surprisingly salacious wink. And a naughty thought occurred to him. Perhaps he would take her up on that offer. 'Thank' her for saving his life...

Her expression grew more serious. "I can't hear the others anymore and I fear the worst. We should get going."

Taking in what she said, he listened for the sound of gunfire but it never came. What happened to the others? He was about to respond but his words were replaced with the sound of an explosion from the next floor up. Elias and Lucy shared the same look of dread.

"Now!"

* * *

 **Reilly's POV:**

About eight more mutants died to their hands with varying degrees of sloppy skill and brashness. She had no clue as to why they even bothered. These ones were untrained, slack and poorly equipped. They literally charged her with planks of wood, chairs and drainage pipes. One foolish green-skin had even impulsively attempted to take on Charon with its bare fists.

The mutant had grabbed the burly ghoul by the head but Charon would have none of it, he grappled his hands around the mutant's neck and then proceeded to swing his knee into his opponent's torso with such force and momentum that they all heard the sickening crack of the ugly's ribs. Too stunned to do anything but stare at the ghoul, the mutant then received a devastating punch to the face. It was sent crashing to the ground before Charon stomped on its head. His blow caved in the mutant's skull and somehow made it look more hideous than before.

She was pleasantly surprised by his unarmed combat capability, possessing the strength and skill that gave the super mutants a run for their money. She had been unsure about how she felt about ghouls earlier on. Sure they seemed rational enough, but once they had a few more gulps of radiation, they became bat shit crazy. Ferals, as most put it. So she and her team made sure to avoid any and all types. Not out of hostility, simply… caution. Though Charon, he was another case entirely. Reilly was seriously considering allowing him on to her team. Well, all of them really, if they managed to help her pull of this rescue.

The mercenary shook her head, hoping to clear her head. Getting too caught up in thoughts let you lose focus of your surroundings. One of the reasons she and her team got caught up in this mess in the first place.

Where were the other two? She glanced through the hallways, nowhere to be found.

Jericho took a peak into one of the hotel suites then shook his head with a groan and walked into the stairwell. "I'm not waiting around for them, they'll catch up eventually," he said dismissively.

That's when she remembered something. "No Wait!"

But it was too late, she heard the snap of the trip wire a second later. Jericho turned, eyes wide and full of terror. He pumped his fists down as he began to sprint as far away from the grenades as his legs would carry him.

The old man made it about three meters away, just in front of her cover behind the doorframe to another suite and dove to the ground. Making himself as tiny as possible, laying feet facing the grenades, so that he would have a smaller chance of being hit with the shrapnel.

When it was over, Reilly, who was carrying Dogmeat, and Charon entered into the hallway again. "Phew that was close," she commented.

Jericho grunted with a roll of his eyes as he pushed himself back up. "Could've warned me sooner," he mumbled.

Reilly chose to ignore him as she let Dogmeat down. She had warned him as soon she had remembered. It wasn't her fault he was careless.

They turned to the sound of scuttling feet. Guns aimed in that direction. Two figures emerged from a room down the hall they had previously been through. Two figures she recognised. Lucy and Elias made their way towards them. Blood caking their faces.

"Bout time you two showed up, we were getting ready to leave," Reilly joked.

Elias grinned at her. "Aw c'mon, we didn't take that long."

"We're almost there, lets hurry," Reilly advised before heading through the stairwell.

She stopped short when she came across the body of Theo, the fallen Quartermaster of the Rangers. His legs had been blown off and she couldn't bear to look any longer. It was like something was mocking her for her failure. Failure as commander of the Rangers.

"Take the ammunition crate," she ordered to no one in particular before heading up the rest of the stairs.

"Wow, no one's going to take it? Fine, I'll do it." She heard Lucy complain before heaving it off the ground. "Fuckin' assholes," the blond added under her breath.

They didn't bother to go searching into other suites on the next floor, only aiming to get the hell out of this place as quickly as they could. The fusty air of the Statesman was horrible to breathe. They were so close too.

They past a vending machine that had fallen and crushed someone beneath it, and a poor bastard that had died drinking a superfluity of Nuka Cola, based off the abundance of empty soda bottles littered around the skeleton.

At the end of the hallway was another that one would have to make a sharp right down. It started at what looked like a janitor's closet. Whatever used to be down that way, though, was deemed inaccessible due to the huge pile of rubble that blocked their access.

They continued up the next flight of stairs that took them up several floors and made it to the top. It had an elaborate alfresco lounge at the end of the corridor. Inside was the perfect ambush opportunity since whomever intended to ambush could trap them in the centre of the room and attack from all sides. She would keep that in mind.

Elias poked his head inside the fancy club. "It's clear," he stated as if confused with the fact, he then wandered inside, repeater pointed straight as he cautiously approached the bar.

The bar was in the middle of the room, surrounded by tables and chairs. The lounge even had a few pool tables off to the side adjacent to a jukebox that would flicker ever few seconds.

Reilly glanced up and around the outside of the room that was higher up and leading to the roof. Nothing. The place was empty. Which meant one thing: the super mutants we're attacking the Rangers.

This alarmed her greatly, they needed to get up there immediately. "My team are in trouble, we need to move."

The four of them followed after Reilly as she raced up the staircase and towards the door to the roof. But not before Elias took the chance to snatch something out of a cupboard and Jericho grabbed a few alcohol bottles from the bar.

The door to the roof slammed open, smacking the wall on the outside as it was swung. Reilly practically flew out. Confirming her fears, the courtyard ringed with the screams of the bereaved and the crack of gunfire. The super imbeciles had launched an attack on her team.

Running full pace, Reilly scampered alongside Dogmeat, who was the only one able to keep up with her, for the stairs to the platform that the Rangers had set themselves up for a last stand. When she made her way up, she dove for cover behind a table. Looks like she would be able to flank the mutes. About six in total.

The rangers had set up some cover using the abandoned outdoor furniture they found on this roof; patio chairs and tables. They were flanked by pillars erected opposite each other on either side.

Reilly sprayed her SMG at the backs of the mutants, they had nowhere to hide, taking fire from the front and back. Charon, Lucy and Jericho ducked down nearby. But Lucy was unable to shoot since she was the one holding the ammunition.

A grenade was thrown from the Rangers' side into the centre of the battle where the mutants found themselves. It blew the meaty legs clean off two mutants. Leaving only one left. It looked around, clearly shocked and wondering where the reinforcements had come from before taking a .44 round to the skull by Butcher's revolver.

When the smoke cleared, Butcher gazed at the sight of them all in pure astonishment.

Finally, she had made it. And everyone was still there and alive. A wave of relief washed over her and her worry was dimmed slightly. They had reached her Rangers but now she had to get them to safety.

"Reilly!" he exclaimed and ran out from the barricade they had set up to greet her, it looked more like he was intending to hug her but then he stopped himself and awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. They held their gaze on each other for a second. Just a second so that it wouldn't be obvious to any of the others.

They had agreed to keep their relationship disclosed, not even the other Rangers knew. Like some secret steamy love affair. It wasn't anything serious that everyone needed to know about, but more of a… mutual comfort. But it also meant that they couldn't publicly display their affection for one another.

"Are you really surprised to see me so soon?" she asked with fake offense, "You have such little faith," Reilly teased.

Butcher simpered but waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Nah, I knew you'd come as soon as you could." He stared into her eyes for a brief moment before breaking away to look past her. "Who are your new friends here?" he inquired, his gaze shifting between each of them.

Reilly turned around and put her hand on Elias' shoulder. "This is Elias, and we have him to thank for this little entourage."

Elias raised a brow in slight amusement, "Entourage, huh? So which of us is the important one?" Already knowing what she was going to say.

But the medic said it for her. "Reilly, of course," Making it a little _too_ manifest that he held her in the highest esteem.

The young kid looked between the two with a knowing smirk and his eyes twinkled mischievously. She had to hand it to him, he was perceptive alright.

Butcher decided to interrupt the silence and break the ice between them. "I'm Butcher, nice to meet you guys. Now I suggest you all get your ass's over to the safety of our barricade before we attract the attention of every mutant in the building," he advised, addressing everyone here.

Elias was the first to wander through the mangled corpses of the super mutants and over to the other Rangers. He gave each of them a nod. "How have you all managed to stay alive up here?"

 _Because they're my Rangers_ , she thought, slightly offended by his comment. When Reilly drew near, she replied why he said it: they were out of food and only had two bottles of water left between them. No doubt there would have been a few fights over that. Probably with Donovan and Brick as usual. She really needed to get them under control.

Brick, the Rangers heavy weapon specialist was giving him a quick once over. Reilly wasn't certain if that was even a thing, she was sure she made that title up. Brick would not stop pestering her about not having an official position on the Rangers. She liked big guns so why not make her in charge of that?

"Skill, pure skill… and my Big-Ass Gun!" she explained enthusiastically, speaking of her customized minigun that she had affectionately given a name. Realising she hadn't introduced herself properly, the minigun wielder said, "I'm Brick and this here fine-looking room sweeper is Eugene." She was so obsessed with the gun that anyone would think she was fucking the damn thing. You never knew with that girl.

The repairman, Donovan, or Donny as everyone like to tease him as, was currently working on the express elevator. The thing must've jammed because they couldn't use it to get off the god damned roof. He looked up from his work to take a quick gander at the new group of people but then forced his attention back to his task. "Hey there, the names Donovan, I'm in charge of the repairs. You break it, I fix it," he stated without looking back up. "Good to see you again, Reilly," he added.

She nodded back to him. "Likewise."

Alex, or Alexandra in full, the Ranger's sniper didn't offer them so much as a glance, too busy monitoring the street below through her scope. The girl had been going through depressive stages ever since Dallas and Kira died. Dallas was in a romantic relationship with her at the time and Kira was her best friend. Reilly took the full blame for their deaths and Alex's mood. So she wouldn't let anyone call her out for being bitter. Alex ignored them and didn't utter a word as she continued to shoot at the frankensteins in the street.

Elias shrugged it off as if he was used to being disregarded. But his friends were clearly unnerved by her presence.

They had their flaws but Reilly would gladly lay down her life for either one of them. They were all invaluable assets to her Ranger team.

Lucy dumped the heavy ammunition crate onto one of the outdoor tables that they had also stacked their stuff on. "Here's some ammo. You all owe me for hauling that thing up here," she half-jested.

Butcher opened the cache and gave her a thankful nod. "Indeed, this makes me feel a whole lot better, thanks. Fending off the last wave of super mutants made the rest more cautious but also drained our ammo. This should keep us going till we get back to the compound."

He chucked some 5.56 ammo clips to Donny for his assault rifle, the man commented on how he felt naked without it, then Butcher threw a couple of magazines to Alex, the girl caught them with a glare and slid them into her belts before returning to her business.

Brick pushed Butcher out of the way and snatched the ammo for her minigun. "Aw, HELL Yeah!" she cheered, pulling the previously used cartridge out and slipping in a fresh one.

Butcher turned to Reilly and Elias. "So now we should focus on getting off this roof. I would suggest going back the way you came but that's going to be impossible thanks to you guys," he said with a grin. Speaking of the fallen pylon.

Elias looked at the ground when he said that, embarrassed, as if it were entirely his fault.

The medic continued. "We're going to have to take this express elevator to the lobby level. But Donovan hasn't been able to fix it yet."

Hearing what Butcher had said, Donovan spoke up, "I told you already, we need a fission battery to power it up or this elevator isn't going anywhere. I've tried to find other power sources to wire it to, but there aren't any," he grumbled.

Reilly could've sworn she saw Elias' ears twitched when the repairman said that. The kid then reached into his backpack to pull something out. "Like this?" he asked as he held it up for everyone to see. So that's what he must've grabbed.

Donovan stood up. "Yes! Give it here and I can jury-rig the elevator. We'll be home in no time."

Brick shrugged her shoulders to loosen them. "Good. Eugene and I have had a lot of fun together mowing down super mutants but now I think it's time to go home."

For the first time since Reilly arrived, Alex spoke, "You better hurry, we've got company," she said to Donovan.

The repairman nodded and went back to the elevator to install the battery.

As he worked, Alex continued, "They're trying to climb up the pylon and get up to the Statesman. A few of 'em have already made it in," she explained incredulously, still with her eye down her scope. Not believing it herself. She slipped in one of the extra clips and continued to hold them off as best she could.

That was enough for Reilly. "Donny, you done?"

He gave her a sarcastic smile for referring to him in his unwanted nickname but then sighed and continued, "Almost… there… Done! It should work now," he announced before opening the entranceway to the lift.

Reilly nodded. "Everyone into the elevator, now!"

Her Rangers and Dogmeat headed inside first, followed by Lucy, Charon and Jericho who had been unusually quiet during the ordeal. She and Elias were the last ones but there was only enough room for one more thanks to Brick's huge gun.

The minigunner just shrugged. "I've already said it was big."

Donovan rolled his eyes from next to the control console to the elevator. "Nah, it's probably just your fat ass."

She responded by punching him in shoulder harshly. "Shut the fuck up, _Donny._ "

Reilly noticed Jericho and Lucy grinning at the two of them acting like squabbling like children. They thought it was funny. Charon rolled his eyes from the corner. She was in agreement with the ghoul, they really needed to grow up. At most times she felt as if she were if charge of separating two warring, petulant children.

Elias sighed when he realised the predicament they were in. One of them would have to wait for the elevator to come back up after dropping them off. Being a gentleman, he offered to stay. "You go, I can wait."

The mercenary commander shook her head before voicing her counter option, "Half of us can stay here with you and the other can come down with me."

The kid looked thoughtful for a moment but was interrupted by Alexandra who spoke once again. Twice in a day? This must be a new record for her. "No offense Reilly, but that won't be such a great idea. I watched a whole bunch of super mutants' head into to the lobby of this hotel. They're waiting for us down there. It would be wiser to send as many of us as possible," she expounded, which Reilly found surprising.

"Uh, yeah… none taken." She turned to Elias who now carried a solemn expression. "You still alright to wait?"

Elias nodded and spread his hands. "Of course."

Taking a deep breath Reilly stepped into the crowded elevator. "Get in as soon as this thing gets back up here, got it?" she instructed.

He smiled back at her. "What else am I going to do?" he said as the elevator doors shut, obscuring her view of him.

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

When the doors of the elevator closed, Elias heard another door open, followed by the treading of heavy feet. _A lot_ of heavy feet.

"Go get those Humans!" a super mutant screamed.

His blue eyes widened. Should he hide? Should he fight? Should he surrender? All options seemed crazy and erroneous. Either way he was screwed. This was a quandary he had hoped he'd never be trapped in.

 _Fuck, what do I do?_

He searched his surroundings desperately, looking for anything that would get him out of this unfortunate situation. He cursed himself for trying to be chivalrous. That had always been his downfall in the vault and it would seem so here as well.

That's when his eyes landed on the elevator shaft. A deranged idea popped into his mind. One that was likely to get him killed. But what other choice did he have? He was going insane.

The Lone Wander grabbed one of the tools Donovan had used to fix the elevator and set about utilizing it to pry the doors back open.

A horde of uglies came into view from the opposite end on the roof. Catching sight of him, they bolted, jumping over their fallen brethren and ready to wreak vengeance on him for their deaths.

Elias took one last glance down the elevator and closed his eyes. He swore he was losing his mind. All common sense was knocked out the window.

One of the super mutant approached him with a spiked club. "Haha, something to eat! I was getting hungry!" Wait, were those actual sentences? Sure they were abridged but they still made sense. He never thought he'd see the day. But he didn't have time to think about that.

The Wanderer saluted mockingly back at it. "Adios!" And then he jumped down the shaft.

"Stupid human gunna break legs," he heard one of the green-skins say behind him.

And it was right. Panicking, Elias tried to stab the wrench into the wall to slow his descent, it screeched and sent sparks flying as it grinded against the metal. It would've worked if he hadn't had then dropped it. In retaliation as a reflex, he reached out for the cables of the lift instead. A stupid decision, the skin of his hands peeled and blistered. He didn't have time to scream. His fingers managed to grip onto it, once he had done that he was quick to steady himself by placing his feet onto the wall so that he wasn't dangling.

Now his hands stung painfully and he was about to go 'splat!' all over the top of the elevator. He looked down at it beneath him, it looked like it had stopped.

In a last-minute decision, he resolved to try something. Something incredibly stupid that Super Mutants would pat him on the back for it… if he made it out alive, that is.

He'd read about rolling out of the impact of a fall to send the energy into the roll rather than having the body absorb it. However, that technique was supposed to be very difficult, especially if you've never done it before. Which he hadn't, naturally. But it wasn't like there were very many places in the vault he could try that. There was the Atrium, but then the Overseer would have a front seat view to watch his idiot stunts. Giving the overseer another of many reasons to despise him.

Elias took a deep breath, and let go.

His teeth were clenched his entire descent. Once he had almost reached his destination, chin tucked in, he leaned forward and placed his desquamating palms flat out on to the top of the lift, he pushed off the floor or roof in this case and advanced his weight forward in his desired direction, his legs going over the top of his head. Keeping his back rounded, he aimed to land on his padded shoulder. The momentum carried him right into the other wall where he crashed, banged his head and fell backwards.

The Lone Wanderer put a hand to his head and groaned. Elias opened his eyes and looked up at the top of the shaft above him. Was anything fractured? Did he injure himself at all?

Pain was the only thing his somatic nervous system's receptors chose to focus on. All he could feel was a numb pricking sensation, in his head and hands especially. He needed a dose of med-x.

With a grunt, he managed to sit himself upright. Elias wrapped a hand around the handle to the elevators emergency exit and pulled the thing open. He jumped down into the elevator, well-aware of the pain that shot up through his legs.

Elias pressed the button to open the doors. He was welcomed into the lobby by Jericho and Lucy who were at either side of the doorframe, shooting into the room ahead. Taking cover behind a railing was Reilly and Butcher directly ahead. He could also hear the familiar whine of a minigun which meant Brick was also there… or a super mutant had gotten hold of one. He couldn't see or make out the noise of any of the others.

He came up beside Lucy who slipped behind cover as a bullet flew past.

"Miss me?" he questioned, taking out his N99 10mm Automatic Service Pistol that Amata had given him. He winced slightly when his hand clenched the grip. They were going to get infected at this rate.

Lucy gave him a sideways glance. "No, but I think your mutant friends do," she quipped back.

"Yes, I was just about to catch up with them," he replied and dashed through the doorway and ducked down next to Reilly and Butcher.

With a peak over the railing he got a better view of the lobby. Brick was off to the side hurtling hundreds of rounds per minute into the unlucky beasts. A wide grin on her face. There were about eight mutants in total, three others were lying dead in their own blood. Donovan and Charon were on the lower floor covering each other.

They cornered a super mutant just below where Reilly was, who took the opportunity to pounce over it and air assassinate it by driving her bayonet into the back of its skull.

She then shot at a surprising large ugly compared with the other brutes, but it had nothing on that Behemoth he took on the other day. It was more heavily armoured and built than the others. It also carried what looked like a Tri-beam laser rifle since the laser was split into three. The oaf tried to swing at her but she ducked and weaved to the side, delivering a nice onslaught of bullets to the thing's brain.

Reilly then took the thing's energy weapon and weighed it in her hands, she smiled to herself. "Souvenir."

Brick marched forward, her minigun still in full effect, clearing the path in front of her that had two more super mutants. Jericho lobbed a frag grenade into the path of three others, only two got out of range of the explosion but they were then cut down by Charon and Donovan. The two exchanged a respectful nod.

The mercenary leader then disintegrated the last mutant with her new Tri-beam.

Everyone holstered their weapons and regrouped in the centre of the Statesman Hotel lobby. Before anyone could speak, Butcher turned to Elias and his group. "Well, I guess thanks are in order, and maybe something a little extra for your troubles," he suggested.

Reilly nodded. "Yeah, we're heading back to the Ranger Compound. You can tag along if you'd like. When we get there, I promise you will all be paid… immensely."


	7. Chapter 7: Unexpected Occurrences

**Shout outs: Springbox, The-Quickpeeps, Guest of Aug 3rd and a special thanks to Mandalore the Freedom for his assistance. Greatly appreciate it!**

 **A/N: Welcome to the 7th chapter, can't believe I'm this far in already. I got this out early to make up for the last one.**

* * *

Chapter 7: Unexpected Occurrences

"You realise how much of an idiot you are, right?" Lucy asked Elias seriously, watching him wrap his second hand in bandages. He had just explained to her his dangerous feat in the elevator of the Statesman Hotel and now she was looking at him incredulously as if inwardly questioning how he manages to stay alive with all the audacious stunts he pulls. The same look Sentinel Lyons gave him a few days ago.

He turned to look at her, and smiled impishly. "I am aware of that, yes," he responded.

In reply to his bluntness, she simply sighed and rolled her eyes. Not even bothering to attempt to lecture him about being negligent of himself. He appreciated that.

Elias tucked the end of the bandage underneath an already wrapped length of it before looking up. Ahead, he observed Reilly bump into Butcher lightly as they walked side by side. A contented smile brightening her features in the dank metro. He could tell that they were flirting and to see the two of them so jaunty in this hell made him smile to himself. Even if he were never directly rewarded for his assistance, it would still be wholesomely worth helping them out. Their happiness was reward enough.

"Don't you think they're adorable together?" he heard Lucy voice from beside him. Thinking along the same lines as he.

He nodded in response, "I do." Not really wishing to gossip about them. Their relationship together was none of his business.

She kept her gaze on the older couple. "They love each other," she said softly after a short while in silence.

He looked over at her with an eyebrow raised inquisitively. "How do you know?" It could just be an infatuation and fondness for each other. Not necessarily 'Love'. But he was curious as to what made Lucy think that.

This time her emerald gaze shifted to him. "Because I feel the same way… about you."

His other brow shot up to join its partner in shock. He wasn't expecting her to say that. She… loved him? Elias stammered a bit. He didn't know how to reply to something like that.

Lucy nudged him playfully. "You don't love me back?" she asked with fake offense, or at least he thought it was fake.

The Lone Wanderer shook his head. "Um no… I mean… yes… you just surprised me that's all," he half-fibbed. Elias was being honest about her surprising him. How could he anticipate her confessing her love for him? He wasn't so certain about returning those affections for her though. Sure, she was great and all… but love? He didn't even fully understand what that was.

The blond looked like she was about to say something but was interrupted when the large group stumbled across a few super mutants patrolling an exit to the metro they were in. Secretly, Elias was happy for the intervention by the mutants because that conversation ended there and wasn't brought up again. He needed time to think it through.

After a brief firefight with the buffoons, they all emerged into the afternoon light of Seward Square. This part of DC was more open and spacious than Vernon and absolutely filled to the brink with pre-war cars. He knew Jericho would be tempted to start shooting at them to watch them explode.

Reilly turned around to face them all. "The Compound is just down there," she directed, pointing down a street on the opposite side of the car park they were approaching.

The mercenary team leader and her second in command, Butcher, stayed on point since they were most familiar with this area. Elias and Lucy were tramping some meters behind and the other five were at the rear. Jericho, Donovan and Brick were engaged in a heated discussion. Elias caught a few titbits of it and decided that he didn't care. Charon and Alex on the other hand remained silent, quietly listening in on their companions' colloquy. Occasionally running off astray then returning, Dogmeat was sniffing around just to the side of him. The hound's ears perked up and twitched as he gazed off into the distance.

Behind them was the Capitol Building and Elias could make out the sounds of gun blazing. Were those figures still trying to get inside? Seemed like a lost cause to him.

They bypassed the cars and strode beside more dilapidated buildings. He couldn't put his finger on it but he felt as if he were being watched. Unnerved, Elias glanced around. There were ample hiding places in this plaza, they could be anywhere. He made sure to catch up to Reilly to take some comfort.

The mercenary leader also seemed as if she were on alert but didn't make it obvious. Her eyes were scanning the place as they walked, then occasionally she would look back, pretending to check on everyone else.

Eventually, they made it through and took a turn down an alleyway. The alleyway ended in a much smaller square with two buildings opposite each other and a fence at the back. In front of the fence was a statue podium that the Rangers had graffiti bombed on with a huge portrait their logo. If Elias had a camera, he'd get them all to stand in front of it and take a 'family' picture together.

The building on the left was the Ranger Compound since Reilly waltzed right up to the terminal and unlocked the door. An automated turret was placed just above the archway and he knew it was scanning him. Elias involuntarily gulped and headed inside after Butcher and Reilly.

Once the lights were on and they had gone down the hallway, Elias found that their Compound was actually rather commodious. They had their living quarters to the left and Reilly's 'office' to the right. On either side of the entrance hallway were two more that ran parallel to it and both led to the generator and storeroom. Directly ahead was a recreational area consisting of two couches, a coffee table and a Nuka Cola vending machine. At the back of that was what looked like a small kitchen. So this was a military bunker.

Elias decided to strike up conversation. "Well, that went extremely well, we didn't lose anyone."

Reilly nodded. "Indeed. I'm impressed by each of your skills. I don't think I've met anyone quite like you guys in the ruins," she admitted in veneration.

Jericho scoffed, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Yeah that's because we prefer to roam mirelurk swarmed swamps than supermutant infested cities," he commented pungently.

Elias noticed Lucy's gaze drift downcast after hearing that, her buried sorrow threatening to surface at the memories of what they discovered over by Arefu. He'd have to talk to her about that later.

Reilly would have no idea what the ex-raider was talking about, she ignored the remark and continued. "So, I guess you would all prefer to get your reward than listen to me talk."

Without waiting to hear their response, Reilly led them into what Elias presumed was the storeroom. He had been right, to one side was a surplus of Ranger combat armour briefs and pieces folded neatly and placed on the shelves of lockers. Along the wall were two conjoined tables with varying types of weapons scattered on top that Reilly and the others must've found throughout the years. In the centre of the room were four shelves that held army backpacks and pouches, different types of grenades, ammunition and other military sundries. Then on the opposite side to the table, a sort of cage was placed. Upon closer inspection Elias realised that there was a Sentry Bot inside. The Ranger's logo painted on the front plating.

The merc halted at the row of lockers and began to rummage through them, pulling out two sets of male Ranger armour. One significantly larger than the other. She handed the smaller gear to Elias and the larger to Charon who both looked at her with eyebrows raised.

"So does this mean we're Rangers now?" Elias questioned.

"Yes, I think each of you have what it takes to make excellent additions to the team. Wear the armour with pride. We do."

The other Rangers cheered and gave them a few slaps on the back.

Jericho stood up straight. "Hold on, I never agreed to join your little sleepover club. And I'm definitely not wearing matching pyjamas. Got anything else that would be of use to me?"

Elias wasn't impressed. He glared at the ex-raider for being so impertinent. Jericho ignored him though.

Reilly didn't seem to mind, she went to the table, grabbing hold of a customised Chinese assault rifle. One that looked more powerful than the one Jericho currently had, since the receiver was a more advanced model. She tested the grip for a second before nodding in satisfaction.

"This is the Xuanlong." She said simply, holding it out for him.

The ex-raider snatched it greedily and weighed in his hands. Jericho nodded to the red-headed merc leader. "Thanks," was all he said in reply.

 _Jericho has manners?_ A lot of things were surprising him these days.

Reilly pulled out a female set of Ranger combat armour and presented it to Lucy, the blond stared at it for a moment before looking Reilly in the eyes. "I don't suppose you have anything less bulky? I prefer to be light on my feet," Lucy asked in the most respectful of ways. Elias could see the logic in that. Having less armour meant it wouldn't be as cumbersome for her. She was the more agile of the group and that added weight wouldn't allow for her to be as lithe.

The mercenary looked thoughtful for a moment. "We have some leather pieces in the back but other than that, no I'm afraid. We prefer this medium set. Provides a reasonable resistance to damage but also doesn't weigh so much that you can't move."

Lucy nodded. "I'll take the leather, thank you," she said, acknowledging the fact that she wore literally no protection.

* * *

 **That Night…**

The Lone Wanderer was seated in an armchair within the recreational area of the Ranger Compound. He was busy fiddling with his Pip-Boy, recording the things he'd been up to so far. He had never been one for writing in a journal about his days, but that was probably because nothing that piqued his interest ever happened in the vault. Now though, each day that passed in the wastes had its own story that Elias found himself apart of. Currently he was documenting the unfortunate tale of the old 'Our Lady of Hope Hospital'. No one else had been rather intrigued. But he was.

Everyone inside at that time hadn't directly died by the atomic bombs. They died by the gas leakage in the cafeteria. Elias hypothesised that the leakage was caused by the impact of the bombs. The patients and staff died because the hospital hadn't been built sturdily enough.

When Elias had finished his last sentence he glanced up at the others in the room, the Ranger's repairman and heavy weaponry specialist were conversing with Jericho over by the kitchen, while draining their supply of alcohol.

Lucy was seated beside Charon on the couch with Dogmeat curled up in between, the blond was cleaning her three bowie knifes as they sat in silence.

"Lucy West, may I ask you something?" the ghoul put forward to Lucy, surprising her. Elias was surprised as well. He couldn't recall Charon speaking to her once since they'd met each other. Only acknowledging her presence with the occasional nod.

"Uh… yeah sure," she spluttered.

Charon watched her place down the knife on the coffee table. "Where were you educated on the use of throwing knifes?" he questioned. Elias wondered if he was trying to make conversation to break the ice.

Lucy snickered lightly as if knowing someone would inquire upon that eventually. "Ah yeah, that. Years of throwing kitchen knives at a stump during hours of boredom, I guess," she divulged with a shrug. Though the memory seemed to sadden her a bit. Her family must have something to do with.

Charon sat up straight and studied her expression. "I see," he said finally before adding, "Where did you obtain the authentic blades?"

The blond looked at him with her brow raised before setting her gaze back at her knives on the table. "These are authentic? Huh, I just bought them off a trade caravan for fifty caps."

Raising a brow, Charon proclaimed, "That set you have there is from the age of the American Civil War. Genuine bowie knifes."

Shocked at the revelation, Lucy stared at her knifes on the table in front of her. "So… these things are worth a lot, right?"

The ghoul simply nodded.

She shook her head in amazement. "Wow… uh… thanks Charon."

"I don't suppose you've named them, have you?"

"Yeah, actually. I call the set 'Stabulous'."

Before Charon could ask why, Elias laughed and said, "If you're going to stab someone, you better do it fabulously."

Lucy smiled at him. "Exactly." She then proceeded to collect her knifes and settle them in their sheaths before walking out.

He nodded back to her. Elias wondered how he knew that. Maybe he had a lot of time to study history in the Museum of History or something because there was no way that was a coincidence. He also didn't seem like the type of person to deceive someone. Elias was left puzzled.

Elias decided to stop eavesdropping on conversations and find Reilly. She was one of the easiest people to talk to here. Most likely in her office. She had told him she had a lot of work to do so he assumed that was where she would do it. Unless of course she was in there or the bedroom with Butcher, and if that was the case then he'd leave them to their 'business'.

As he reached Reilly's office, Butcher exited with a solemn expression, closing the door behind him. When he noticed Elias, he sighed. "She isn't in the best of moods right now. Keep that in mind if you wish to head in and speak with her," he advised before patting Elias on the back and walking out of sight.

It would be an understatement to say that Elias was curious as to was had her upset. He would've expected her and her Rangers to be dancing on the tables with alcohol in hand in celebration of their reunion. She had her Rangers back intact and everything was fine. Besides, wasn't she all cheery just a few hours earlier? What had gotten in to her?

He opened the door to her office slowly only to witness the merc leader grumble, shove a pile of papers out of the way and slump down on the desk with her arms crossed over as a pillow of sorts.

"Uh... Reilly?" he queried uncertainly. _Is this the best time?_

She sat up immediately and looked over at him. "Oh, hey." She sounded less than pleased at his entrance.

"What's wrong?"

Reilly looked down at her crossed arms on the table and sighed after a short while. "I… don't know. I'm just not sure I'm cut out for this kind of work anymore…" she admitted. Elias was surprised. Reilly didn't strike him as the type of person to be doubting their abilities and loosing convince so drastically.

 _Is she serious?_

He remained silent to allow her to elaborate. "I almost got everyone killed at Vernon. What kind of leader does that?" she asked him rhetorically, Reilly sighed again. "It was just one horrible decision after the other…"

Elias grabbed a chair and sat down on the other side of her table so that she would have to look at him if she glanced up. "You couldn't have been prepared for that," he opposed.

Unconvinced, Reilly shook her head, "Yeah but then I led them into a damn death-trap! Theo died because I decided to take shelter in the hospital. Then before that Dallas and Kira died because of another of my lousy choices. I don't think I should be trusted to lead at this point," she confessed bitterly. It seemed she had an obstinate stance on this matter. Butcher must've been trying to persuade her out of her depressed thoughts but had little luck. However, Elias was just as adamant as she was and Reilly was in for a treat.

He shook his head in return. She took the blame for everything and she didn't deserve it. "There's tremendous risk in what you guys are doing out here. The only other people I've seen in DC are part of some huge organisation called the Brotherhood of Steel, and those guys have a power armour advantage. I'd wager Theo and the others knew that," he debated back, resolute in his opinion. "Besides, I'm certain they died well… and in the end that's all that really matters…" he found himself quoting the Sentinel. "Go out there and ask every single one of your Rangers, they all agree that you are unsurpassable as a leader and they wouldn't accept any other. They're fiercely loyal to you. Which means you must be doing something right." He then pointed to the Rangers' symbol, specifically the clover on his breast plate, "Look, the four leaves represent: hope, faith, luck and... love. You had the last two given to you… you simply need to find the others." He ended his short, emphatic speech there.

A broad grin found its way onto her face as she listened to him and she moved to wipe her eyes before they began to water. "Thanks. You're sweet to try and make me feel better about everything."

Elias returned the smile and nodded.

Then something occurred to her and she sighed, her brief surge of hope dwindling. "I just hope we can get back to mapping the ruins again. I have a tonne of contacts demanding I finish," she said, gesturing the horde of papers she had so slovenly pushed aside.

"I can assist with that."

* * *

 **Lucy's POV:**

Lucy hadn't gotten over the death of her family. She had somewhat accepted it but not gotten over it. How could someone be so heartless to just forget something like that? At times when she was preoccupied, the thoughts of them would drift from her mind. But the gaps in between? Her family was all she could think about.

She didn't want to be a burden on the others and cry incessantly. Loosing family early was a fact of life out here. Why should her case be treated any differently? Nothing good would come from that. No, she mourned alone.

She was the only one that really knew her family. Even though Elias would try to understand, he couldn't. He never met his mother and his father was missing not dead. And he never had siblings. He couldn't relate. She appreciated his attempts, however.

Lucy stared down at her sawed off shotgun in her hands. It was all she had to remember her brother by. Her despair welled inside her.

"You lost someone too, huh?" Lucy heard someone say in front her. Alex, that daunting woman that always held a gloomy expression. How did she manage to sneak up on her like that?

Lucy had thought she was alone, that's why she chose to climb her way on to the roof. Apparently not. This must be the loners corner.

"More like three," she replied in a whisper.

Alex nodded in thought. "How do you cope with it?"

Lucy sighed, she had no idea why she was confessing this. Alex just seemed to... get it. "One day at a time, I guess…" Lucy trailed.

The sniper remained silent. "I hope you can find something to keep fighting for," she said after a while of staring at the night sky and walked back down the stairs to the Compound.

 _Strange,_ Lucy thought.

About to stand up to leave, she stopped when Elias made his way up to Loners Corner. Dressed in his new gear. For some odd reason he had decided to don black tactical pants over the top of his lower jumpsuit and a combat shirt underneath the top half of his jumpsuit. Over that he had issued the spring green combat armour chest and shoulder pieces. The Rangers hip pieces, knee and shin guards were also equipped on top of the tactical pants to protect most of his lower body. His lower thighs, just above the knees had no protection but the fabric of his pants. Black army boots to replace his old vault ones. Even if the way he chose to dress himself seemed odd to her, he still looked dashing as ever.

His handsome face held a perplexed expression when he caught sight of her. "Been looking for you everywhere. What are you doing up here?" he asked, gazing around at the sight of the buildings.

Rolling her eyes, she answered, "Oh you know, just having a smoke."

He looked more confused than before. "I didn't know you smoked."

She rolled her eyes once again, surely he would be able to smell it on her if she did. "No I don't. I was just..." she found herself trailing off. Unsure how to explain it.

Elias seemed to know what she was getting at, as his face softened. "Oh that… I'm sorry. If you wish to be alone, we'll talk another time, then."

"No, it's fine," he reassured, not wanting him to leave. "I enjoy your company," she said once he had seated himself next to her, leaning against the ventilation ducts.

She noticed that he looked rattled when she said that but had no idea why. It was the truth. So she was left wondering what had him so agitated.

Silence passed between them. She had thought they were close enough that they would just be able to sit together and ponder quietly but Elias was still uncomfortable. He tried to hide it, but she wasn't stupid. Something was bothering him.

"You look great in combat armour," she complimented, hoping to get to conversation going.

Lucy expected him to say something along the lines of _'I look great in everything'_ or _'Don't you prefer my skin tight jumpsuit?'_ but instead he took a deep breath and simply said, "Thanks."

After a while, he noticed the sawed off in her hands. "Nice gun."

Startled, Lucy shook her head, she was dozing off. She raised the shotgun out for him to take a better look at. "Yeah, my brother brought it for me. He called it; 'The Kneecapper'." He had bought it for her when she revealed that she was joining the caravans as a guard.

"Cute," he commented, handing it back to her. She was getting annoyed at his short responses. Usually, they could keep a conversation going much longer than this. It was pathetic, really.

Something was up and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to find out.

* * *

 **The next morning…**

They collected their gear to set out and continue their journey. Lucy didn't have a clue where they were headed, Elias had only told her that they needed to backtrack. He knew where he wanted to go so she didn't question him.

The other Rangers gathered at the entrance of the Compound to see them off.

Donovan pat Jericho on the back, "It's a shame you refused to join up with us, you have some killer stories. Anyways, good luck and stay frosty!"

The leader of the Rangers, Reilly, spoke to each of them, "If you ever find yourself in the area, feel free take shelter here. Consider the Compound a home away from home," she said warmly before turning to Elias, "Thanks for all your help. We wouldn't have made it otherwise," said Reilly, though Lucy had a feeling that she wasn't just talking about the rescue they pulled off. She sighed, Elias had agreed to something else. Lucy just hoped it wasn't something as minacious as the last.

The Wanderer simply nodded back to her with a small smile.

Lucy locked eyes with Alex who was hovering over the shoulders of her teammates, they exchanged a brief nod before they split and headed their separate ways.

The group exited out the alley, leaving the Ranger Compound behind and greeting Seward Square.

From somewhere nearby, they heard the raving preaching of a man that had dared to cross the fine line between genius brilliance and insanity.

"The Sun! It Burns! Oh, why does it burn? Why did we put the sun into a jar? And what did we do with that jar? We broke it all over our little world…" the man trailed. His voice was amplified thanks to a large speaker and microphone that he had managed to claim. Standing on the second floor of a rundown building that had lost its most of its front wall and half the roof. From where Lucy was, she could make out that he was adorned in a tattered wasteland garb, feral eyes and a full, unkempt beard.

Elias seemed to find amusement in the ramblings as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. She and Jericho listened in, wildered by what the lunatic was trying to convey. While Charon held his usual, placid expression.

"Oh… God… It hurts. My head… why doesn't it ever stop hurting… why? Please, please… I can hear it! Moving! Pulsing! Just leave me alone!" the man screamed through the mic. On the floor, clutching his head.

Another wastelander ran up to them with his hands covering his ears. "He's been at it for hours! Please make him shut the hell up!" the man said.

Jericho shrugged as if it didn't bother him. "Why don't you politely ask him to stop yourself?"

The man stared at him for a second before turning look down the street at the deranged preacher. "You know what? I will!" he declared, turning on his heel to stomp towards the street.

"Not one step further! Not one! Come no closer! I'll do it! I'll blow us ALL to hell! All of us! Me, you people… and the worm!" he threatened, eyeing the other wastelander as he made his way over.

Elias' brow furrowed. "Wait… is that street booby-trapped?" The question never quite finished as the path ahead was erupted into a tremendous explosion. Staggering all three of them. Bits and pieces of the playground set that had been in the centre landed all around them. The wasters bodies had also been blown to chunks.

Once they had recovered from the tremor, Elias narrowed a glare at Jericho. "You convinced a man to commit suicide!"

The ex-raider simply shrugged. "I was being sarcastic, I didn't think he'd take it literally."

The Wanderer glared at him.

Jericho rolled him eyes. "Look kid, I don't know how it works in your vault but out here… the Wasteland doesn't like a goody-two-shoes trying to save every life there is. It doesn't want one, and it certainly doesn't need one-"

"'Doesn't _need_ one? Are you kidding me? Someone tried to bomb your town the day we left! Out of everywhere in the world, this wasteland could do with someone who will make a difference the most."

Jericho inhaled sharply and stared at Elias for a long while before breaking the palpable tension in the air by saying quietly, "You'll only be swallowed up and spit out, and as for that attitude of yours; that will be crushed right before you are."

Staring back at him coldly, Elias then said, "That may be so, but the least I can do is try…"

* * *

 **15 minutes later…**

Elias and Charon took the lead, Lucy behind with Dogmeat and Jericho at the rear kicking a tin can as they trudged. When they neared the metro that they had emerged from just yesterday, Lucy decided that she needed to talk to Elias. She didn't like how he was acting around her all of a sudden. The worst of it all, she couldn't recall doing or saying anything that could provoke such a reaction.

Marching up behind him, she stepped into the gap between him and the ghoul. "Elias, we need to talk," she declared. It wasn't a suggestion, more of an instruction.

He spluttered something she didn't quite catch as she turned to Charon. "In private."

The ghoul looked between the two of them with his cool and collected expression and nodded in understanding. He dropped back to the position she'd been in prior.

When she was satisfied by his distance away, she averted back to Elias. "Why are you acting so strange all of a sudden?"

The Wanderer stared over at her, confused. "Strange? I haven't -"

She didn't allow him to finish, "Yes you have. You've been brushing me off since last night," Lucy accused. They had stopped now. Just outside the metro. Jericho and Charon were staring but she didn't care. She wanted an answer.

"Have not," he deflected, she could tell he was somewhat insulted by his tone.

"Oh yes you have. What's gotten into you?" she inquired. Not willing to back down.

In return he sighed. "Okay. So maybe I have…" he trailed.

 _I'm waiting!_ She thought.

"Well?" she vocalised.

He avoided her accusing glare. "It's just… it's what you said the other day…"

She raised one eyebrow, she'd said a lot of things yesterday. He'd have to elaborate. The blond didn't reply, hoping he'd continue and wondering why it was so hard for him to come out and say it.

He seemed to be having some sort of internal argument. When one side finally dominated, he grumbled. "Fine. Yesterday you said you loved me. And… and I feel like shit because I don't believe I can return those affections. There, I said it!" he confessed.

Lucy was surprised to say the least. _That's what had him all riled up? Wow…_

"You idiot."

Elias glanced up at her uncertainly. "Huh?"

"Do you think I'm some… wayward teen that expects to fall in love with another in what? A week? I simply meant that I cared a great deal about you! That's all. Fuck…" she cussed in frustration. She couldn't understand why it was so hard for him to realise. She was fond of him, true. However, she didn't love him in the way that he thought.

It wasn't hard to tell that he was shocked, she could practically hear the cogs rotate in his head as he processed what had just been said. His gaze fell to the ground as a blush reddened his cheeks. "God, I'm an idiot," he muttered under his breath.

 _Yeah, reminded you numerous times now_

Elias set his intense gaze back on her. "Well... I care a great deal about you also," he asserted with a soft smile. He would never know how much of a deal it was for her to hear that from him. He was probably the only one that did care.

About to reply, she was interrupted by some clapping off to the side.

"Aw, isn't that sweet?" the applauder asked rhetorically to his buddies. Standing on an old bus. His friends, about seven of them that she could see, grinned at him, also standing on the cars in the parking lot. They were all dressed in typical raider armour that looked like it was designed for the sex appeal more than actual protection. Made of random assortments of junk. They had been ambushed.

The one she assumed was the leader, jumped off from the roof of the bus and down to the street to join them. "Our friend here has been causing quite a stir in the wastes," he stated, his eyes fixed on Elias.

The Lone Wanderer narrowed his eyes at the man. "You! You're supposed to be dead!" he claimed. So they had met before? _Interesting_.

The raider laughed. "I'm not 'supposed to be' anything, kid. You on the other hand _will_ be dead by the time we're through with you."

"Splinter?" the ex-raider asked, obviously recognising him. _Also Interesting_.

The raider's gaze turned to focus on him. "Ah Jericho! It's been a while, old man. Oh, before I forget, Moriarty sends his thanks on getting these two here," he said, gesturing her and Elias. "Two thousand caps, your agreed on amount, correct?" The raider known as Splinter proceeded to throw a small bag to their ex-raider companion. She heard the jingling of caps inside.

The bag dropped at his feet, Jericho looked down at it, then back up and around at the many faces staring at him. He was left speechless.

He had sold them out? To Moriarty of all people. She couldn't believe this, it was absolutely preposterous. Just for two thousand measly caps that Jericho would never find an acceptable use for. All it would go towards is alcohol.

Lucy, just like Elias, stared at Jericho in disbelief. "How could you?"

He didn't answer, choking on his own words.

Splinter returned his attention to she and Elias. "Moriarty wants you alive," he said to Elias then shifted his gaze to Lucy, he eyed her up and down, making her feel exposed for some reason. "But your girlfriend… we can afford to lose her."

"You'll get a better reward if you bring the two of us," Elias told him.

The raider gang leader thought for a moment. "True," he agreed but he was just buying time for his goons to circle around them. "Boys, tie 'em all," Splinter commanded his group once they had gotten into position.

One raider that had managed to get behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Disgusted, she kicked and struggled before swinging her head back to head butt him. His grip loosened and she got free. She snarled and withdrew two of her bowie knifes.

"You bitch!" the raider seethed through clenched teeth, tending to a bleeding lip.

Lucy pounced at him, her blades sinking into the flesh of the man's chest, he screamed. Now on top, she dove her knives into his head. _Don't fucking touch me!_

She whirled around to watch Elias. Three raiders had cornered him, he backed up till he was on the edge of the escalators down to the metro. He was patting himself, trying to find a clip to slip into his 10 mm. She was sure they wouldn't attempt to kill him but that's when they all aimed their assault rifles at him. She wouldn't be able to get to him in time, Charon was dealing with two other raiders and the traitor; Jericho, was running after a raider that had sprinted off. Elias was dead for sure.

Within the blink of an eye, a stranger in a trench coat and fedora seemed to materialize right in front of the Wanderer, the man fired a fancy .44 magnum from the hip into the hearts of all three raiders in the same second. She was certain he sent a wink her way. And then he was gone. Poof. Vanished into thin air.

Elias locked eyes with her, they exchanged a glance that said: _You saw that too, right?_

The stranger couldn't have not been real, the raiders bodies lay dead on the cracked road. Firm evidence of his brief presence.

Charon ran up to Elias once he had dealt with the other raiders, his combat shotgun in his hands. "Three guys at once? I'm impressed."

Elias shook his head. "I didn't…"

A sharp pain spread from Lucy's upper back and through her chest…

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

The Chinese officer sword impaled her from behind, the tip poking out her front, dripping of her blood. Lucy's breath hitched in her throat, she coughed up some blood as it pooled in her mouth. When the blade was drawn back out of her body, she slumped to her knees and fell to the ground.

"NO!" was all Elias could cry in that moment of desperation. He dashed across the pavement to her dying form and knelt beside her. His hands moved involuntarily to her wound to cover and pressurize it.

"Hang on Lucy. You're going to through this," he said, trying to reassure himself more than her, he ripped his vault suit sleeve to use to soak up the blood. "Hold this here," he instructed as he turned to his backpack to search for the med-kit. Charon's shotgun banged followed by a scream. The raider's scream. Which caught Elias' attention. He glanced up to see Splinter fall and Charon looking at him with a concerned expression. "Charon, go send word to the Rangers! They can help us!"

The ghoul sighed and shook his head. "It's too late. There's nothing we can do for her now, I'm afraid."

"Don't say that!" Elias shrieked back, clinging to the last sliver of hope that his friend would survive and refusing to let it go.

A gentle hand caressed his check, he looked down at the owner, through tear filled eyes, suffering in his arms. He held her closer as he gritted his teeth. "I guess this is goodbye…" she said just above a whisper, a fatigued smile on her face.

"No, no, no…" he trailed. He had to think of something, any excuse to keep her fighting for her unfinished life. "Lucy, no. We haven't found my father yet! Lucy, stay with me!" he implored, pleading her.

A small chuckle escaped her lips. "You'll find your father… I know you will…" she murmured in his ear before drifting off into an eternal slumber. Her life essence fading.

Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he hung his head. "I can't do it without you…"

The ghoul closed his eyes. "She's gone…" he trailed.

A deep, throaty laugh erupted from somewhere in front of him. The two of them glanced up to search for the source.

Splinter was dragging his bleeding body away… laughing! "You killed my crew! I kill yours!" he affirmed loudly.

Elias snarled. "You!"

All he could see was red. Red, hot anger that resided in the deepest pits of his being. Rising up and bubbling at the surface. Consuming him. Blinding him.

The brash young man charged forward, tackling the rest of the raider leader to the ground. Once he was on top of him, Elias managed to unsheathe the combat knife from his boot. He brought the blade back over his head before slamming it into the killer's heart with a vengeful grunt, and watched with no lack of satisfaction as the light died in the man's eyes. Trying to prevent the tears, Elias squeezed his eyes shut. The bloodstained knife found its way back into the chest of the dead raider as he continuously stabbed him. Both hands fisted so tightly around the grip, his knuckles were turning white. "This time, stay dead!" he spat down at the corpse beneath him.

Strong arms hooked beneath his own at his armpits and heaved him off the man with ease, setting him down on his knees.

"Calm yourself, the man breathes no longer!" Charon scolded.

Elias' breathing was raggedy and uncontrollable, coming out of his nose in furious puffs. "He deserved every blow…"

The sound of heavy feet alerted them to an approach.

The ex-raider halted just ahead of them. "What the hell… happened?"

All of Elias' rage was returned in a fraction of a second and he stood up to face the ex-raider. "This is all your fault! None of this would've happened if you hadn't been here! Lucy would still be alive!" he screamed, like a child having a tantrum.

Jericho's gaze drifted to the body of their female companion before resting on Elias once more. Registering what was going on. But before he could utter another word, Elias intervened,

"Just get out of here! I don't want to see your face ever again!"

It would be futile to argue with him. Jericho took a deep breath,

"Alright… I'll go."

* * *

 **A/N: This was sad to write. But necessary for character development, I'm afraid.**

 **Before anyone asks, the Ranger Combat Armour is the one from 3 not 4.**

 **Have a good one!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Affairs of Rivet City

**Inspiration: 100 nut shot fail compilation (Not even kidding), 'How aircraft carriers work' - parts of an aircraft carrier, Fallout wiki- Rivet City.**

 **Shout outs: Mandalore the Freedom, Man Gone Rogue, Guest of Aug 21, Arrowtotheknee, TPK and Alexeij. Thank you all for taking the time to review!**

 **This chapter will have a lot of switching between POV's so bear that in mind. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 8: The Affairs of Rivet City

He went from two to three then back down to one. In the span of a mere hour, he lost two of his only allies. One to betrayal and the other to death.

Death around Elias had become the norm over his short period of time out of that hole he once called home. He was naïve to believe that it wouldn't happen to someone close to him out here. He was at fault and responsible for her terrible demise. He couldn't save her. He was too late.

Then the other reason he swapped his smile for a permanent scowl: Jericho. The bastard stabbed him in the back. It was hard for Elias to believe that he was almost starting to warm to the old man when double-crossing them had been Jericho's intention the entire time. Though it did explain a few things, for instance: why the ex-raider randomly wanted to join up with them, the tracker and how he already knew Elias was heading to Galaxy News.

In truth, his ire had subsided. Only after taking his rage out on a nearby tree, the boxing match ended with Elias' bandages shredding, along with the pink flesh beneath. His anger was now replaced with an overwhelming surge of guilt and self-pity. Everything was going so wrong.

All this he contemplated as he knelt beside Lucy's grave, Dogmeat whimpering next to him. He had been considerate enough to bury her with her family outside her home settlement of Arefu. Along with all her belongings except the sawed-off shotgun she had. Kneecapper. He decided to keep it in memory of her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to the mound of dirt that now covered her. He'd been repeating those same two words over and over, like some sort of hoarse chant.

"Elias, it would be wise to take shelter for the night."

The former vault dweller glanced up at the ghoul towering over him and nodded. Wordlessly, he followed Charon further into Arefu. The place was dismal in of itself, doing nothing to but worsening his maudlin. The duo chose to camp out in one of the deserted hovels.

Charon was seated on a dining chair staring at Elias expectantly. Eli wouldn't meet his gaze. Already knowing what the ghoul wanted. He wanted Elias to open up and explain the sullen look on his face. But he should already know.

Elias said nothing.

The ghoul eventually spoke, "Sometimes the threat is not those that oppose you, it's those that were supposed to be beside you. Loyalty is rare."

Elias still said nothing.

* * *

The following day, the Reilly's Rangers pair and their young hound trailed along the edge of the Potomac, heading directly to Rivet City according to Three Dog's directions. A desolate air between them. Elias did not wish to speak of it. Charon acknowledged his desires and didn't pry.

Elias just hoped to effectuate reaching Rivet City as soon as possible.

They passed by a small super mutant encampment and obliterated the uglies stationed there before moving by the Anchorage Memorial.

After stopping for a break at an old apartment complex where a strange man named Dukov and his five "party girls", as he put it, were living, Elias and Co were on the move again. With one plus to their group. One of the girls, Cherry, who asked them to take her with them to Rivet City.

It took them the rest of the day before they could finally make out the air craft carrier in the distance. They had come across more super mutants, raiders and a little scavenger's hut as they traversed the remains of a once prosperous city.

They crossed a bridge that took them over to a large dome shaped building with catwalks and various pipes circled around it. Elias couldn't help but stare.

"What is this supposed to be?" he asked as they walked over one of the catwalks.

Cherry shrugged.

The ghoul narrowed his eyes at it. "The Jefferson Memorial," he answered. "A team of scientists used to work with the Brotherhood of Steel here a couple of decades back. Don't know what happened to them, though," he explained plainly.

The redhead looked at him incredulously. "I didn't know you could talk."

Charon shifted his gaze to her and offered her a blank stare. "You never asked."

Still not in full understanding, Elias turned back to Charon. "What were they doing here?" he asked, ignoring the side conversation between the ghoul and Cherry.

The ghoul shrugged back. "Not entirely sure. No one but they knew, really. Though, whatever was going on here did cause quite a fuss," he said, having nothing more to add.

The Lone Wanderer nodded in rumination. The place was probably abandoned or full of super mutants or some other wasteland critter by now. But it looked worth a bit of poking around if Elias had more time.

They resumed their trek, heading up the hill to their desired location.

Rivet City was a rotting, beached air craft carrier, accessed by a steel tower structure elevated high enough to allow the extending bridge to reach it. It was also only located in the hull since the bow seemed to have separated with it at some point. The years had had their say. At the base of the crude tower was a trading caravan that was selling trumpery to another waster.

They trio ascended the ramp to the top of the tower and crossed the extended bridge. At the end of which was a man in combat armour similar to the suit Elias was wearing except instead of green, it was black. He had his arms crossed over his chest and was watching them approach. He seemed like he was part of a security force.

"Hold it right there. State your business here in Rivet City," he demanded once they were close enough. He was taller than Elias and almost as tall as Charon.

Elias stepped forward. "I'm here to speak with Dr Li."

The guard raised a brow. "Oh, yeah? Let me guess - no she isn't expecting you but it's really, really important and you've got to see her right away? I've heard that one before. You're going to have to do better than that," he replied, unamused.

"I have a few questions regarding her recent work in hydroponics. I'd like to know how they bypass certain nutrient deficiencies since the soil is so sterile. Like potassium," Elias answered in a half-lie. Only half because he was actually particularly curious in how they were going so far with this research. Reilly told him about it before he left the compound.

Confused and not expecting that response, the guard said, "Err, what? I don't know much about her work," he admitted with a sheepish smile. "She's probably in the science lab as always." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at one of the doors. "Keep out of trouble on my boat," he warned before stepping aside to allow them passage.

 _No promises_

There were two doors behind the man, one said it led to the marketplace and the other to the stairwell. Elias took the one to the stairwell.

* * *

 **Jericho's POV:**

Jericho sat at one of the tables to the 'Muddy Rudder', the bar on the lower deck of Rivet City. The liquor was almost insipid but sold at a discount so he didn't mind. He came to this giant tub when he left the company of that crazy vault kid. It was closer than Megaton and he couldn't be bothered walking all that way. Besides he wanted stay away a little longer.

He eyed Belle, the owner, as she brought in some spare chairs. There had been a fight just before he arrived and now she was left to deal with the aftermath. The ex-raider got up and assisted her. Stacking the remaining five on top of each other before hauling them in and shoving each one under the replaced table for her.

"Well, thanks. I thought I had you pinned as one of those 'selfish asshole types', sorry about that," she said to him, a tad surprised by his actions, as she dusted herself off.

The ex-raider grunted and seated himself back down. She was right in her first assumption. He sighed, that kid was rubbing off on him. When was the last time he helped someone with no personal gain? Never. But that kid… he would help another save the entire world if they asked and had nothing to give in return. That's how insane he was... or is.

Where did he go wrong with that vault dweller and his girlfriend? Oh that's right, when he betrayed them. It wasn't what he wanted to happen. In fact, it was completely unintentional. Well… not when he first met them, but certainly after spending a few days with them. When he first accepted the job from Moriarty, he thought it just like any other. He never expected to grow attached to those kids and actually enjoy all the stupid shit they did. And at the same time, he wasn't even doing anything felonious or iniquitous. He used to think he had to be a criminal if he wanted any thrills from life. But after a week with them… he wasn't so sure anymore.

He tensed up when he heard a familiar voice from behind him. "This doesn't look like a lab to me." That kid!

 _The hell is he doing here?_

"That's because this is a bar, genius," the owner pointed out. "Now, are you two going to buy something while you're here?" Belle then asked. So Charon was here with him.

Good, they hadn't noticed him yet. His back was to them. He hunched his shoulders a bit more, hoping neither of them would look his way. Elias would probably try to beat him senseless if he caught sight of the ex-raider and even if Jericho wanted to fight back, the ghoul would join in and then he was dead.

"Uh… why the hell not?" Elias questioned rhetorically, though from his tone he sounded depressed. Jericho closed his eyes and took a swig of his beer. That was his fault.

Then, he heard Eli walk up to the counter and take a seat at a stool. It squeaked beneath his weight.

The girl with the two pigtails that would always hang around here took a seat next to him. "Buy a girl a drink, handsome?" she asked slyly. She had tried a similar approach with the ex-raider and a few others as well though he refused.

"No. Buy your own drinks," Jericho heard Elias reply bluntly. He had never heard the kid talk to anyone like that. He was always polite. It seems their last exchange had turned him bitter. It was understandable but in some ways… disheartening. Most people were just assholes – himself included – and though Elias could be a bit of a splenetic hothead, he was more ebullient than most others. The same went for Lucy.

Feeling more uncomfortable than he would like, Jericho felt an intense and overwhelming urge to get up and leave but knew that would attract immediate attention. Elias made it pretty clear that he didn't want to see him ever again. So instead, he slumped in his chair and waited.

Once he heard the two of them exit, he risked looking over his shoulder. They were gone.

Jericho sighed.

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

After his wrong turn at the bar, Elias went to visit Dr Li.

As he was about to amble inside the science bay, Elias came to a stop. "Charon, do you mind waiting out here?"

The ghoul shook his head. "I shall await your return."

Elias nodded and told Dogmeat to sit at the door also, heading on inside. As he walked along the catwalk and down the stairs to the lab he noticed a scientist and a formal-dressed man engaged in a heated conversation.

"Look Zimmer, we've been over this." The scientist woman sighed. "We don't know anything about your 'runaway robot', and frankly, none of us care," she said on behalf of the entire team. "This lab is dedicated to solving _real_ problems."

The old man she was speaking to pierced her with a glare. "But surely one of your test tube jockeys can assist me?" he asked hopefully, flicking his gaze on an assistant in a Robco jumpsuit. He turned back to her. "For the most advanced scientific centre in the Capital Wasteland, I find your -"

He was cut off by the ever increasingly frustrated woman as she tried to remain professional but obviously wanted to punch him in the face for his pestering. Elias decided to ignore their bickering, and take in the sight of the lab. Beside the badgering man in spectacles and his bodyguard was a table with different fruits and vegetables, just beyond that was the hydroponics garden that Elias when over to inspect. It seems they had potatoes, tomatoes and carrots but they were clearly mutated.

He reached for one of the leaves, grasping it gently between two fingers to feel the texture, letting go when he heard someone approach him.

The scientist that seemed to be calling the shots stepped up to him, attention still rapt on a clipboard in her hands. "This is a restricted area. I'm tired of telling you people…" she informed in clear annoyance. That's when she glanced up at his face. "I… It's you. My heavens, you look so much like him…" she muttered, trailing off, a hand reached out as if she wanted to touch his face but it was quickly pulled back. "You're James's son, aren't you?"

He wasn't surprised she could recognise him, Moriarty did also. "Yes, that's me."

"What are you doing here?"

"Left the vault to look for him," he offered by way of explanation, trying to be as vague as possible. She didn't need to know the details. "Did he pass through here?" Looking past her and around the lab.

She raised a brow. "Did you? I was under the impression that that was exactly the opposite of what he had in mind for you," the doctor stated with open cynicism but then brushed the matter off to answer his question. "Well, you won't find him here. He's come and gone already. Headed off to our old lab to restart our last project."

Elias was mildly disappointed but it wasn't like he expected anything more. "Well, where is this lab of yours?" he asked, slightly impatient.

Dr Li shook her head and sighed. "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told your father: Don't go. Whatever's left there isn't worth it anymore. The project was abandoned. We gave up. There's no reason to go back there."

Elias frowned at her attempts to dissuade him. "I made it this far. The fact that this could potentially be dangerous is not going to deter me. I'm going to find my father, so where did he go?"

She grumbled. "Fine. Suit yourself. The lab is in the old Jefferson Memorial building, along the river."

He stared at her. So that was what Charon was talking about earlier, his father and this Dr Li were involved in some project over at the memorial. But what exactly?

"Can you tell me what the point of it was?"

"Project Purity." The woman took a deep breath as the memories came rushing back to her, looking off to the side as if in another world altogether. "It was simple really. 'Fresh clean water for everyone'. Such a simple idea yet so impossible to realise."

Elias' eyes widened in shock. A little bit of his world shook. That was what they were working on? It was so… noble.

Li continued, "The plan was to build a facility that could purify all the water in the Tidal Basin. No radiation, no muck, just clear water. It turned out to be more difficult than anticipated."

He shook his head. _Why would they give up?_ That was likely one of the best things someone could do for the wasteland. "I don't understand. Why would you halt your progress? What happened?"

"You happened," she answered, mildly annoyed. "Well, I guess it wasn't just you. We had more problems than we could handle already, but your birth was what finally pushed it over the edge. Your father decided you were more important than everything we had been working for and he left… he left all of us," she divulged, her expression softening in sadness.

The Lone Wanderer was taken aback. It was his fault? He was the reason they just threw in the towel?

"Once he was gone, the Brotherhood decided we weren't worth their time anymore. Without their protection, we had to abandon the purifier."

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. He couldn't believe he was hearing this. "What about my mother? Why did she die?" he asked after a short while in thought.

Li looked away. "Complications from childbirth. None of us were expecting it. We weren't as prepared as we could've been." She seemed to notice the shocked and betrayed expression he wore because she attempted to justify herself. "You have to understand we were struggling with scavenged, derelict equipment. We did everything we could."

 _'Weren't prepared'? My mother is dead, damn it!'_

He was tempted to lash out at her but knew it wasn't entirely her fault and instead simply sighed. "I… understand. I'm sure you did everything you could," he said, unable to mask the sorrow that laced thickly through his voice.

She seemed just as regretful. "Yes well… I'm sorry it wasn't enough."

Elias shook his head and turned his back to the woman. "I'm going to find my dad. Goodbye."

"Be careful and good luck," she called after him.

About to walk back up the stairs and towards the exit, he stopped when someone grabbed his shoulder. That old man the scientist was arguing with, 'Zimmer'. "Are you some type of lab assistant?" he didn't wait for a response as he tried to work it out for himself. "No, you look a bit more… weathered," he said, unintentionally sounding condescending.

Offended, Elias scowled at him and ripped away from the man. "Excuse me?"

"Are you, by any chance, for hire?"

Elias frowned at the man, pondering for a moment. "Depends on the job."

"You'll be searching for an android!" he said like it was supposed to be exciting. "Do you know what an android is? No I don't suppose you do."

His constant patronizing was getting on Elias' nerves. "I'm aware of what an android is. I have dabbled in AI programming before."

Zimmer seemed surprised. "Oh, I hadn't realised anyone in the wasteland was so knowledgeable. And you certainly don't look like much of a scientist," he said arrogantly. "Anyway, occasionally their programming miscalculates and they get confused and wander off," he began to explain but it all sounded like nonsense to Elias.

 _Yeah, right…_

The man continued, "My android must've done something drastic, like a facial reconstruction and a memory wipe or I would've found him by now. He may not even realise he not human. Don't upset him by talking with him. Just come straight back to me."

"Got any leads?"

"I have this message he sent me. He's mocking me. I swear I'll make him pay for that," he affirmed, handing a holotape to the Wanderer.

Elias frowned at the man but shook it off and slid the tape into his Pip-boy.

 _'Zimmer. By the time you get this message, I'll already be gone. I'm escaping the Commonwealth. I want to live my own life, on my own terms, as my own man._

 _I know what you're thinking, that I'm malfunctioning. I used to think that's what caused the runaways, too. But, I know better, now. Self-determination is NOT a malfunction. I'm just not willing to put up with all the bullshit anymore. You humans are going to have a full-fledged rebellion on your hands if you don't start treating us synths as persons. I know you'll be marshalling the Retention Bureau to come after me. But I know all the tricks of the trade. You won't be finding me. I assure you._

 _By the time you get this, I will be someone else. It's the price I pay for my liberation. My final act of rebellion against a system I no longer believe in._

 _Goodbye Zimmer, and good riddance.'_

"See what I mean?" Zimmer asked like he was convinced that Elias would take his side.

Elias glanced up at the man.

"I'll do it."

* * *

 **Charon POV:**

The sagacious ghoul was unsure how long he waited, but wait he did. Standing around looking the part of the imposing ghoul bodyguard was just about all he had been doing for years. This was no different.

Dogmeat yawned from beside him and curled up into a ball.

That's when he saw the figure. Down the hall, peaking at him from behind a wall. Before it could be made out and identified, it whipped out of view. Charon squinted at the spot where he first caught sight of it. Gone.

He contemplated going to investigate. But didn't. Elias had asked him to stay here and he'd be damned if he was going to defy his only ally. Good thing too, since Elias came back out into the hallway. He didn't utter a word, walking off to disappear down the hall if the ghoul hadn't followed after.

Charon made sure to peer into the room he thought he witnessed the figure melt away into. Nothing. Whoever it was, they were long gone now.

Sighing, Charon decided to pipe up, "So… how did it go?" It wasn't like him to talk this much, more like growl because of his gravelly voice, in fact he hadn't spoken this much in decades.

Elias seemed to supress a sigh, he glanced over his shoulder. "About as well as expected. My father wasn't there."

That came as no surprise. Elias had been delayed several times now, even before the ghoul joined up. His father could be on the other side of the wasteland by now.

Deciding to leave it at that, they continued through the seemingly endless hallways and up a flight of stairs till they reached one of the higher decks. Elias stopped at what looked like an infirmary and spoke with the doctor for a minute.

When he came back out again, he slipped something in his Pip-boy and slapped the top on, a message came over the devices speakers;

 _'If you're listening to this recording, it is because you're believed to be trustworthy. I hope that is the case, because this recording puts us both in danger. I'm escaping from the Commonwealth. I'm an android, a synthetic man... a slave. The men hunting me are ruthless and will stop at nothing to retrieve their property. I need to find a doctor in the Wasteland to perform facial reconstruction. I also need someone who knows a great deal about computers. I need... I need to have my memories erased and my face altered to look like someone else.'_

Charon was left dumbstruck, which was a rarity. Synthetic men? What had the kid got caught up in now?

Elias glanced up at the security guard that was approaching.

"Is that one of those android holotapes? Don't believe a word of it, all nonsense I tell ya'," the guard advised. Elias nodded in acknowledgment but didn't say anything. As the guard stalked off, Charon heard him mutter under his breath, "Androids… yeah right."

The marketplace was set up in the hangar deck of the aircraft carrier. Tarpaulin tents were used as stalls for merchants to ply their trade.

As they entered and walked through, Charon saw a large crowd gathered in between the stalls and row upon row of dirty faces, all watching the two of them intently. Whispering amongst each other. Elias and Charon made their way past, the congregation parting to allow them through. It was almost as if they recognised the kid.

"Three Dogs doing, no doubt," Elias mumbled from ahead.

The eccendentesiast stall owners were still touting their wares, desperate for the attention of anyone with caps at hand. Elias came to a halt at a gun store. _'Flak n Shrapnel',_ read the sign. In the centre of the stall was a bench with firearms of varying calibres all in a state of disrepair. Most likely to prevent any ruffians from robbing the store. All the other weapons were locked in cabinets surrounding the centre.

A briefcase resting on one of the shelves caught Elias' eye. "What have you got in that?" he questioned one of the owners.

The man Elias was speaking to groaned and pushed himself off the support of a cabinet to retrieve the case. He set it down on the bench and opened it for the Lone Wanderer to take a gander.

Inside were two pristine 500 mag revolvers; comfort grip, bull barrel with standard sights. One was a slick black and the other a metallic shade of white. Quite the sight to behold.

"The Black Hawk and White Eagle," the man claimed, he leaned back against a cabinet in nonchalance.

Elias tore his eyes away from the perfect handguns and looked at the man. "How much?"

The shop assistant picked something out of his teeth with a switchblade, ogled it then flicked it away. "Two thousand caps for the both of them."

Frowning, Elias put forward a question that was on the ghoul's mind as well. "How about for only one?"

The other man shook his head. "Nope. All or nothing. They come together," he stated.

Elias cursed, not having enough caps. "Never mind," he grumbled before storming off.

They both stopped at something that had to pass as a restaurant to eat. Both seating themselves at one of the tables.

Cherry scurried over to them and took a seat without invitation. "I don't know anyone here and I don't want to look like a loner," she offered as an explanation when she noticed Elias' quizzical expression.

Before Elias could answer, a blond girl in usual wasteland attire walked up to them with a notepad and pen. Looked around the age of sixteen or seventeen.

"Welcome to Garry's Galley. What can I get ya'?" she asked, trying to sound enthusiastic but failing rather miserably. She looked tired and worn out.

Elias was first to respond. "What's on the menu?"

The waitress sighed and said, "Right now, it's either the noodles or mirelurk cakes."

"You make cakes out of mirelurk?"

She nodded like it was common knowledge – which it was, just not in Elias' case. "Yeah… well my dad does anyway. He owns the place."

Elias raised both brows in curiosity. "I'll try those," he said, turning to Charon he asked, "How about you?"

The ghoul shook his head, he didn't need to eat. "Not hungry."

Nodding in response, Elias turned to the former prostitute. "I don't suppose you want anything, Cherry?"

She grinned, probably having hoped that she could score a free meal. "Call me Rebecca, and yes," she looked up at the blond. "I'll take the noodles, thanks."

The waitress nodded before writing the last of the order down. Charon noticed Elias give the girl a quick once over. "Do you get a lot of attention from men?" he blurted.

She looked back at him with open surprise but then found interest in the ground and sighed. "Not really. Most of them are polite," she said, "Even the ones like Diego that I'd want to flirt with seem to ignore me."

Pursing his lips together, Elias looked like he was about to respond but before he could speak, Rebecca did,

"Men are pigs. Forget him," she said dismissively.

Elias glared pointedly.

The blond sighed. "I know and I should. But I just can't."

Something attracted Charon's attention. That figure he spotted earlier and now he recognised who it was. They were gone in an instant. Flowing through the busy crowd. The ghoul had had enough of this.

"Excuse me," he said as he rose from his seat to the other three "I've got to go… check on something."

* * *

 **Elias POV:**

After Charon disappeared, Elias finished eating and decided to speak with the technician of Rivet City. Some guy named Seagrave Holmes. After cajoling the man for a few minutes, the technician revealed that a someone called 'Pinkerton' performed the facial reconstruction and memory wipe on the android. However, that man lived in the bow of the ship that was apparently infested with mirelurks.

He made his way through a hallway, Dogmeat at his side, when suddenly he was pushed into a random room and slammed against a filing cabinet row, a rusty knife pressed to his throat.

At first glance, his assailant looked like some innocuous wastelander but now, a corroded knife threating to spill his blood in her hand, she looked as vicious as a raider piped up on drugs. Though she was shorter than him so she lost some intimidation to that.

"You've been rather busy lately. Asking questions. 'Investigating'. Is that it? You an investigator?" she spat up at him in absolute disgust.

The hound barked and growled at the woman but didn't engage.

Elias' eyes were widened. _What the hell?_

"I have no idea what you -"

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, knowing what he was about to say. "Or do you have some kind of personal grudge against an innocent android who simply wants to be left alone? Please, tell me. I'd really like to know," she insisted impatiently.

"Oh that..." Elias muttered to himself, realising what this crazy woman was on about. "Look, what I do with my time is none of your business. This conversation is over, step aside," he demanded boldly. She wouldn't murder him, his dog was right there, security was just a shout away and even if she did manage to kill him before he could raise the alarm, his body would be hard to explain. She was a spy, not an assassin.

Frustrated, she shoved against him in a weak push and released her hold of him. "Don't you realise what you're doing?" she questioned, almost desperately. "The path you're on will lead to you ruining a man's life! Is that really what you want?"

Crossing his arms across his chest, Elias rolled his eyes. "There's a difference between a 'man' and an 'android'. One is artificial: a fake. Spurious. Ersatz. Technically speaking, a synth doesn't have a life."

That only infuriated her more. "Listen to me! I'm involved with a movement dedicated to rescuing runaway synths. I _can't_ let you interfere with that!" she thundered, waving her knife in his face.

"Calm down. I'm not going to turn in your little android pet. Zimmer has made that option pretty undesirable," he said, more to himself than her. "You mentioned a 'movement'. What's all that about?"

"We call ourselves the Railroad. Our mission is the rescue and salvation of synthetic humanoids."

Elias would've laughed if she hadn't looked so serious. "Okay… I need to go." He moved to step passed her but she blocked the only exit, withdrawing something from a pocket in her clothing.

"Deliver this component to Zimmer and tell him the android is dead if you change your mind and decide to help," she ordered, handing him a strange computer chip that he didn't recognise, she then glanced out into the hallway again. "We can't be seen talking to each other further."

"Hang on, you want me to feign the android's death?"

"You know what needs to be done," she said and took off down the hall.

* * *

Sauntering down the cracked pavement towards where the rest of the ship was located with Dogmeat in tow, Elias watched the irradiated water fret back and forth with the wind, gently lapping at the abraded rocks along the edge of the path. He tossed the component given to him by the 'Railroad' agent into the water. He had a very different approach in mind. One that involved checking with this 'Pinkerton' geezer first.

Directly ahead was the Jefferson Memorial, his next destination.

Elias walked onto a platform that lead to what seemed like the only entry into this half of the ship. Once he made it to the bulkhead door, he grabbed hold of the wheel used to open it and turned. It wouldn't budge once he reached a certain angle. Locked.

 _Great_

Looking over the water shimmering in the night light, he knew what he needed to do. Elias stripped down to his waist and removed his combat boots. He then fixed on a pair of biker googles that he bought off Seagrave to allow him to see more clearly under water. Dropping his guns and backpack next to his clothing and armour, he sighed. Hoping no one would steal his gear while it was left unsupervised. Only bringing his combat knife with him, cursing himself for dropping his machete a few days ago.

He turned to Dogmeat. "Look after my stuff, boy."

He'd read about swimming and all the techniques. _Just… don't panic,_ he told himself.

The splashed water soared high in the air before splattering on the platform walkway he'd dived off. Now submerged, Elias kicked – spurring his body into movement. He swam around the side of the ship, his Pip-boy light flicked on, until he saw another entry into the bow, though it was underwater. Elias surfaced for a gulp of air before diving back down.

Once he reached the watertight bulkhead door, he gripped the wheel and spun it, with much grunting, till the door opened. He pushed off against the door to propel himself faster through the corridor.

Elias ended up in some room with a small air pocket at the top that he used to regain his breath, rattling litter that had been floating there as he treaded the water.

He searched the room for any conjoining hallways underneath the water. His Pip-boy providing just enough light for him to see one. Elias swam towards it, pushing off the threshold he zoomed up a staircase and emerged on the next floor. He estimated that it was the third deck.

Gasping, the young man crawled forward a few steps before collapsing in the ankle-high water. His lungs begging for oxygen.

Elias looked up when he heard the scuttling of crab legs…

* * *

 **Charon POV:**

The ghoul took a short cut through the 02 deck and jumped down the stairs to bolt through the 01 deck, intercepting the man he was after at the junction of hallways.

Without warning, he grabbed the man by the collar and propped him against the wall.

"Ah Jericho, just the reprobate I was after," Charon growled, glaring at the ex-raider. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Jericho attempted to calm him with an upraised hand. "Hey easy there, big guy. I didn't know you guys were gunna' be here," he testified.

The ghoul wasn't certain if Jericho was informed that Elias would be headed to Rivet City but narrowed his eyes as if he was unconvinced anyway. "You better not be lying to me. And that still doesn't explain why you were watching us." Still calm and controlled.

Jericho hesitated like he wasn't sure himself and was intimidated by the bulky ghoul; which he damn well should be. "Look, I don't really know. I just noticed Elias was acting strange…" That was an understatement. "I'm worried about that kid."

"Where was that worry when you lead us into that ambush?"

Shaking his head, Jericho tried to defend himself. "I fucking forgot about my deal with Colin, man!" he protested. "Can you let me down? Goddamn collar of this armour is too tight already…"

Charon had no idea who 'Colin' was but didn't care. He let go of the ex-raider and watched him drop to the deck. "Give me a reason not to kill you where you stand."

"I'll get out of here. You won't see or hear from me again, aight'?"

"Then go."

He didn't need prompting, dashing off to the closest exit.

Satisfied that his business was taken care of, Charon went off to join Elias. Only… he wasn't there. Leaving the ghoul perplexed. Had Elias left to search for him? Was he still chasing after this android thing? Or did he depart to continue his search for his father?

Charon scouted the bustling marketplace till he found who he was looking for, a certain redhead. She must know where Elias went.

As he made his way over, a short Asian woman plopped in his way. Her eyes darting side to his side, scanning their surroundings before resting on the ghoul. "You were with the Lone Wanderer, right?" she inquired of him.

Charon grunted in reply.

"Can you… take me to him?"

"If I knew of his location," muttered the ghoul under his breath. "The issue?"

She seemed to be vacillating whether or not to divulge whatever she had bottled up. "I suppose it doesn't matter if I tell you," she said quietly. "I used to be a slave… and I saw a slaver on this ship. His name is Sister… I'm afraid he's here for me."

Surprised, Charon raised his brow. "Here, take this," he said, handing her a small pouch of caps. "Buy yourself a gun. I'll take care of this 'Sister'."

"Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, she reached out and pulled him into a hug. Sobbing softly into his chest.

Charon didn't know what to do. Most people wouldn't so much as draw near a ghoul, let alone touch one. He was even surprised that Elias had no qualms with giving him a handshake. But this woman… was hugging him. He also had no idea how to console or comfort another. Which was also why he chose to ignore Elias' obvious disgruntlement these past few days.

The woman wiped her eyes with a grateful smile and ran over to the gun store.

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

The wanderer dipped out of one of the rooms, that was once a crew's berthing area, and into the corridor. This entire deck floor streamed with water, mud, and mirelurk skat, coating Elias' legs as he trudged through.

A mirelurk crossed into the hallway he was in, causing him to instantly freeze. It had its shell to him, unaware of his presence.

Crouching, heedless of the mud that soaked his trousers, he took a deep breath and withdrew his combat knife. Eyeing the oblivious mirelurk as it clicked along the floor of the half sunken ship, in the direction Elias was heading – the ladder.

Once Elias had drawn what he deemed 'close enough', which was a few meters away, he charged. Stomping through the water till he reached his enemy.

Elias bounded onto the creature's shell, springing off to land ahead. With his element of surprise, he drove his blade into the mirelurk's face. He stabbed and slashed the same way he would punch. In quick, haphazard movements: _Bomf, Bomf, Bomf._

Its carcass fell to the pool with a splash, attracting another of its buddies.

Elias took hold of the rungs as he began to climb the ladder to the next floor. The second mirelurk scuttled after him, insistent on tearing him to shreds, motivating him to hurry.

It snapped at the air in desperate attempts to snip his limbs off. Once at the top, Elias spun around. He watched the creature pincers until he had an opening, which didn't take long. With his opportunity, he push-kicked the disgusting crab in the face. It staggered back, the force of the blow wouldn't have been enough to shove it on its back… if that upturned table hadn't been there.

Tripped onto its back, Elias laughed at the struggling creature. "Good luck getting back up!" Before he turned and ran.

There weren't any mirelurks on this deck but there might as well have been. He could hear them skittering on the floor below that he'd just been down, though not this one. Instead, this floor was laced with traps.

He nearly stood on a pressure plate that would've activated a rifle to shoot him in the brain. He had come across multiple bear traps, trip wires and other contraptions in place to deal with intruders. Whoever this Pinkerton fellow was, he certainly enjoyed the solitude.

He found who he was looking for in some hidden science lab further in. Literally dressed in a sweatshirt and sweatpants.

The old recluse pointed a gun to Elias' head. "This is the part where you tell me what the hell you're doing bothering an old man who obviously wants to be left alone… get on with it already!" he demanded.

Taken aback, Elias stammered, "I wanted to ask you some questions…" He realised how pathetic of an answer that was, however truthful it may be.

Pinkerton looked him up and down, especially eyeing the combat knife in Elias hand, making him realise just how ill-equipped he was. "Well I guess you can't be all bad if you managed to get past the mirelurks and all those traps with only that knife," he surmised to himself, before slipping his handgun into its holster. "What did you want to ask about?" he inquired as he walked back into the safety of his lab.

"The facial reconstruction and memory wipe you performed on the android from the Commonwealth."

The man stopped dead in his tracks…

* * *

 **Charon POV:**

After asking around about Sister a bit, Charon was confronted by the angry man.

"Heard you been asking questions about me, that true, huh?" he questioned, already knowing the answer. Making it plain to the ghoul that he had a fine looking .44 magnum strapped to his thigh.

Charon wasn't intimidated by him in the slightest.

"Yes. I'd like to know what your business here in Rivet City is, exactly," he replied with aplomb. It wasn't a wise idea to tell him about the slave, in case the man sincerely didn't know.

Sister sent a dirty scowl the ghoul's way. "My business is just that, _my business_. Back the fuck off, ghoul."

"If you're not going to cooperate with me, you can cooperate with security when I report you to them. _Slaver,_ " he retorted, knowing he was in control of this situation and taking advantage of the fact.

For all his sinister act, the slaver looked frightened. "No need to do anything drastic, man. Look, I'm just after an escaped android. I was hired to return it to where it belongs. It's not human, so it's not slavery, right?" he asked, more for approval than anything else. Nervous as to whether or not he said the right thing. It was poignant really. A man looking to intimidate turned to nothing more than an obsequious, ingratiating fool.

Charon smiled sarcastically and walked up to him. Without warning, he kicked him directly at his weakest point. The groin. He knew it was a cheap shot, but it wasn't like this man didn't deserve it.

Sister squealed. His hands, on instinct, clamped around his crotch as he dropped to the deck. The man curled up into a ball, groaning in pain.

Slavery is abysmal. Charon wouldn't wish it on anyone, even evil bastards like Ahzrukhal. Human or not.

Now that that was over. He continued his search for Elias. Figuring that the kid had headed off to find his dad. Charon made haste for the exit of the city to catch up.

Once there, Charon bumped into the very man he was after.

"Where were you?" he questioned, regarding Elias' muddy pants. He looked as if he'd been trudging through a swamp.

Elias chortled. "The other half of Rivet City," he said airily.

The bow? Charon wasn't sure he wanted to know just what Elias was up to down there. Especially from the smell.

The next thing the ghoul knew, Elias was on to speaking with the security chief.

"We need to talk."

The man snorted. "Those are the exact words my wife used before she left me for another man," he said, implying that he knew this wasn't good but also having a go at being a source of mirth.

It didn't quite work.

"Do you have somewhere more…" Elias looked around as he tried to find the right word. "Private?" he said at last.

Charon couldn't help but wonder why there was such a need for furtiveness.

A tad surprised, the man answered, "Oh, you're serious? Very well."

Eventually they stepped onto the flight deck, the three of them, they walked for a bit before the security guard spoke. "Well, what is it?" he asked, his tone suggesting he wanted to get this over with.

Elias was first to reply, "I don't know how to tell you this, Harkness. So I'll just come right out and say it. You aren't who you think you are – far from it, in fact. You're an android, from the Commonwealth. You belong to Zimmer."

That answer caught both Charon and the chief off guard, both startled and casting quizzical glances between the two others.

The security guard took a hesitant step back. "Are you out of your mind? I've never been to the Commonwealth. I've never even heard of the place till Zimmer showed up!" he asserted, the shock he first held to the news giving way for a new feeling – frustration.

He shook his head and stood straight. "I'm definitely NOT a robot. Do I look like a robot? Do I sound like a robot? Do I act like a robot? No!" he protested, getting in Elias' face but before the Wanderer could respond, the man continued his rant as he turned and walked a few steps away, throwing his hands up, "And I'm definitely NOT anybody's property!"

"The whole point of an android is to blend in. Look, sound, act like a human. And they did a damn fine job at it too…" uttered Elias who had crossed his arms over his chest. "The facts speak for themselves," he then said, unfolding his arms to display his Pip-boy.

On the screen were before and after comparison photos, the 'after' photo was undoubtedly of Harkness. Elias pressed 'play' on his wrist device, and out came a voice of uncanny resemblance to the chief's.

The guard backed away and shook his head in disbelief. "But… but… that's not possible! I'm not a robot. I'm a human being, damn it! I eat, sleep… hell, I cut myself shaving this morning. There was blood! Explain that!" he challenged, his tone and the look on his face a balanced mix between hopeful and desperate. Outright refusing to face the facts.

Even Charon could see that this was plausible.

Elias and Charon exchanged a look, the Wanderer sighed. "It's synthetic… just like everything else."

Harkness' gaze set itself to his boots and he chuckled darkly, as if this was all some sick joke. "I'll admit that's some pretty convincing evidence. But… how does this make sense?" he asked, looking back up.

"This is for your own good. Activate A3-21 Recall code violet."

A sudden jolt overtook the android as he grasped his head in pain, dropping to his knees. Charon and Elias were unsure as to what to do. If they touched him, they might electrocute themselves. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the man's agony to subside. Harkness looked up at the both of them in shock and disbelief. "My God… I remember… The Commonwealth…. Zimmer…. All those runways…." He looked especially at Elias. "You made me remember… Why, how?" He then seemed to ponder and didn't wait for a reply. "I guess it doesn't matter. My whole life… a lie. What am I going to do? I'm just a machine…"

Elias dropped to his haunches and put a comforting hand on the synch's shoulder. "You're more than 'just a machine', Harkness. You belong here. I… wanted you to know before others found out before you did…" he tried to explain but didn't quite finish. Charon agreed wholeheartedly, although he was unsure where Elias' compassion had remerged from.

Harkness got to his feet, as did Elias soon after. "You're right. I have friends here. And Rivet City needs me here to protect it," he affirmed. "Even if they found out, they wouldn't care, right? They know me."

Elias nodded. "I'm sure." Charon couldn't tell if Elias truly believed that.

"I still need to take care of Zimmer. One way or another." He looked Elias in the eye. "Thanks for warning me. And as a token of my gratitude, I want you to have this," he said, pulling an energy weapon from its leather holster on his back and presenting it to Elias. "Best weapon I've ever had. May it serve you well as it has me. Now I'll go find Zimmer."

As the security chief set about his task, Elias turned to Charon,

"Next stop, the Jefferson Memorial."

* * *

 **Next Chap will be up soon.**


	9. Chapter 9: Where It All Began

Chapter 9: Where it all began

 **Elias' POV:**

Both Elias and Charon perambulated in between the block of buildings on their right and the water shrouding the bottom of Rivet City and its missing half on the left. Dogmeat running beatifically along some distance ahead.

The Wanderer fiddled with his new energy weapon gifted by the android as he walked. It had the synth's actual name imprinted on the side; _A3-21_ , in silver. The problem was, though, Elias had little to no idea how the weapon worked: how it fired, what it fired, how it was reloaded, what type of battery it used or what it even was. So he spent this time attempting to find out.

For the second time that day, they approached the Jefferson Memorial. Once they made it to the entrance, without incident, the duo wasted no time in heading on inside.

A long corridor stretched out before them, tattered mat rolled through the middle.

As Elias made his way around a corner into what seemed to be the lobby, he couldn't help but notice the certain air of familiarity engulfing the place, one that Elias couldn't quite put his finger on. He checked either of his flanks; a gift shop and a set of bathrooms. Nope, he didn't recognise it.

He explored further, passing through a science lab set up and with the touch of his hand entered into another section of the memorial.

There is an expression to describe the moment one finally understands something. It is the moment when "the penny drops". For Elias, this was that moment.

He found himself in a rotunda, gaping in awe at the very thing his parents dedicated their life's to, the very thing his father left the vault for, the very thing his father left him for… What his parent's enterprise revolved around:

The Purifier.

This was Project Purity. A reality.

Everything made sense now.

The Bible passage his father was so obsessed with: Revelations 21:6- _"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely"._ It was tied with this place.

Elias was drawn to this magnificent machine, strolling up the steps and to the main control system, his dog close at heel; loyally following him. The system was offline. Only the backup lights were powered. Confirming that his father had been here.

Dr Li had, of course, informed him of this project beforehand but he wasn't ready to fully believe it. He didn't realise how far into progress they were. From what he was looking at, it seemed they were making headway and on the verge of a breakthrough.

Then… the guilt began to set in. He thought about how much of a selfish brat he'd acted like about his father leaving. Originally thinking that James was the selfish one when that couldn't have been further from the truth. Elias should've trusted that it was for good reason.

On top of one of the control panels were a few holotapes stacked on top of one another. Hoping it would hold some answers, he slid one into his Pip-boy.

 _"Well, here we are again. Project purity and me. It's been close to twenty years since my last entry… since I left this all behind to make a life for my son. We've spent that time in vault 101, tucked away from the outside world. It wasn't perfect, but it was safe… and that's all I could have really hoped for. Now… my son is a grown man. Handsome, Intelligent, Confident." James chuckled to himself. "Just like his old man… Hmph… as hard as it was to admit it, he doesn't need his daddy anymore."_

The recording ended with a 'click'.

Elias couldn't help but smile. Glad that he had made his father proud and he hadn't disappointed him. But the last thing James had said… was it true? Did Elias really need his father still? Or was this whole quest just some fool's errand?

He shook his head and banished the thoughts. He had to leave or the Overseer would have had him killed. He had no other choice.

The door to the rotunda opened to reveal his ghoul companion. "I've scoped out the entire building and I'm afraid your father isn't here."

Elias nodded, tapping the holotape he'd just ejected against his other hand. "I thought as much."

It was in that moment the two of them, three if Dogmeat counted, heard a pretentious thud sound from outside the door, followed by the scolding of something lacking in the brains category.

"You said there were humans!"

Super Mutants.

They must've seen the group come in and followed them inside.

Elias and Charon nodded at each other and quickly ducked into cover. Charon beside the door and Elias behind a support pillar. Dogmeat bounding down to join the Wanderer.

"Dumb-Dumb!" they heard super mutant number 2 say.

"Humans are hiding!" Ugly number 3 protested.

"Where?" Super mutant number 2.

The first oaf growled. "Go look!"

One of the three that had been conversing burst down the door to the purifier rotunda area. Taking a look around, it almost saw Elias behind the cover he had opted for but luckily Charon grabbed the beast and slit its throat with his machete. The ghoul didn't bother to lay the body down quietly, instead allowing it to thump against the ground.

Oaf number whatever, from out in the lab, drawn to the sound, rushed over to investigate. Its head was then replaced with a thin red mist as Charon blew it off with his combat shotgun.

"Humans!" the last super mutant called, stepping out into the hallway. Which was a horribly stupid for two reasons, one: only Elias was human and two: it was now left out in the open and asking to be shot.

Elias was about to open fire with his N99, since he'd run out of bullets for his repeater, had no clue as to the workings of _A3-21_ and the mutant was too far of a distance away to use _Kneecapper_ , when he realised why the mutant had risked such a move.

"Super Mutant have friend of yours!" it claimed, holding the captive up in its hand by the back of the collar.

The Wanderer looked to Charon. Whoever that was, they for certain weren't any friend of theirs. Neither of them recognising the woman.

With a distressed look, "Help me!" she shrieked but was then quietened when the mutant tossed her against the nearest wall and aimed his machine gun at her, offering them a creepy grin.

"Drop weapons or human dies," it threatened.

Teeth bared in a snarl, Elias made a stupid decision of his own. He decided to charge at the beast. The Wanderer, at the last second, jumped, feet first in a flying kick into the mutant's torso. Falling miserably to the ground straight after.

Caught off guard and not expecting that, the mutant stumbled back a few steps and shook its head, dazed.

Elias felt his mouth fill with saliva and he knew he was going to vomit. He jerked his head up at the mutant aiming its gun at him and regurgitated his last meal all over the beast and its firearm. Coating its greenish skin in partly digested mirelurk cake.

That must've been disgusting even by a super mutant's standards as the expression on its faced swapped from grim smile to scowl of repugnance as it looked over itself dripping in spew.

The ghoul, having run over, took care of the barbarian as Elias wiped any remaining bile from his mouth.

"Are you suicidal? You could've had yourself killed!" Charon admonished in disapproval.

Elias groaned and stood up. "I couldn't let it kill her." He gestured the former mutant prisoner who was cowering against the wall, shivering. "You should go," he then said to her.

Nodding frantically in agreement, she got up and raced for the exit, leaving the ghoul and Wanderer alone.

* * *

While Charon toured the building for the hundredth time and Dogmeat slept, Elias spent the following hour skimming through old research notes and listening to his father's journal recordings. When he came across one in particular titled: Better Days and, after hearing, he didn't know whether he should laugh or cry.

 _"…that batch of tests was inconclusive, but Madison and I are convinced it's a problem with the secondary filtration system. We're going to recalibrate the equipment and try again tomorrow so that -"_ The woman giggled. _"- James, please, I'm -"_ Another giggle _. "– trying to work. Now's not the time… So that's the next step. Assuming we get the results we need, we'll move on to…- James! Stop, I need to finish these notes… We'll move onto diagnosing the issues with the radiation dampeners. That should… - Ow! James! Now? We really shouldn't…"_ It was then followed by more fits of giggles before the recording ended.

Elias knew right away: That woman was his mother.

He noticed Charon in the doorway looking at him and he blushed. Embarrassed by what the recording suggested his parents were up to. He wasn't sure how long the ghoul had been there and if he was amused by it. If he was, he didn't let it show or bring it up.

"Are we staying here for the night?"

Elias gazed around the room he presumed used to belong to his parents. "Yeah, we'll leave first thing in the morning."

Charon nodded and spun around, about to leave but Elias said something before he could.

"I'm surprised you're still here." Followed by a tired sigh. What betided earlier returning to his mind.

"What was that?" Charon inquired, spinning back around to study the Wanderer.

Elias looked up at him but wouldn't meet his gaze. "I don't know why you're still sticking around, Charon. Why haven't you left like everyone else?"

An eyebrow cocked, "You mean to get rid of me?" he asked gingerly.

With a shake of his head, the Wanderer said, "It's not that I want to get rid of you. You're wonderful company and an asset in combat. I just feel that whatever debt you think you owe me is paid. I have no need of a bodyguard, and after the way I've acted so far, how can you deem this body worth guarding?"

"What about a friend, Elias. Perhaps I could be your friend?"

Charon was the opposite of Elias. Where he would let his mouth get him into trouble, the ghoul was more reticent and days would pass when he'd barely say more than a word or so; while the Wander was demonstrative, as quick to laughter as he was to temper, Charon kept his own counsel and rarely betrayed his emotions. His father would tell him he could learn a thing or two from the ghoul and… perhaps he could, though the only thing Elias was avid on learning from Charon was combat skills. Though one thing was for certain, Elias was damn grateful the ghoul was here.

"Charon, you already are."


	10. Chapter 10: Dancing with Death

**Inspiration: Batman, Fable 2, Fallout 3 wiki: Evergreen Mills, Mad Max: Fury Road, 3 and the Video Game. *Hehehehe***

 **Shout outs: TheWarden101, Mandalore the Freedom, Shadowolf2001, jukehero461, ExS-DrIfTeRr, Radio Free Death and Alexiej (who has reviewed every single chapter). 7 reviewers** **after one chapter? I think that's the most I've racked up so far, so thanks to all that reviewed. I appreciate it. :)**

 **A/N: Sorry for the super _long_ wait, guys. I've been feeling a little under the weather lately and couldn't be bothered to write. But I decided to get this chapter done and dusted because of how long it's been. Hope one of my lengthiest chapters thus far will, in some small way, compensate for that. **

**But seriously though, how many of you thought I was dead or going inactive or something?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 10: Dancing with Death

 **Megaton, Craterside Supply. Two days later…**

Moira Brown was a bit of an eccentric, even for wasteland standards but overall meant well… but she didn't always end up doing well. Elias had learned from his few encounters with the woman that her experiments could, at times, go a little too far. Now, for instance, was one of those times.

"You did _what_?!"

The redhead attempted a sweet smile, tapping the tips of her index fingers together as she thought of a way to break it to him without him freaking out. "… Twisted your DNA like a kitten with a ball of yarn…" It came out more like a suggestion than real answer.

Elias' hands tightened into fists at his head before he pumped them down in frustration, beginning to pace back and forth. He knew drinking from that irradiated pool of water around the atomic bomb was a ludicrous idea. He couldn't believe he trusted Moira to flush the radiation out of his system without any severe side effects. But it wasn't all her fault, he'd agreed to this madness on his own accord.

"What are the ramifications?" he asked once he'd halted his disgruntled pacing to look at her.

The store owner beamed at him. "Well that's the good news!"

 _There's good news?_

"You now heal from radiation!"

His jaw dropped. "… Are you telling me that the radiation I was subjected to and your treatment has given me some sort of… healing property?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Moira said, "It's more like 'properties', but yes! Isn't this amazing?"

Elias stepped back. "Uh, you could say that…" he said before approaching the counter again and resting his hands on the top. "What are these 'properties'?"

Moira glanced down at her clipboard. "When you come in contact with radiation of any form, your natural healing process is accelerated. Regenerating any damaged areas of your body far beyond the capabilities of ordinary humans," she said. "The radiation will also gradually break down bullets and shrapnel and remove it through your excretory system. So you won't have to worry your pretty little head about that either!"

The Wanderer chose to ignore the 'pretty little head' comment. "So… some sort of mutant healing factor?"

"Yes!"

This was a lot to take in. Thoughtful for a moment, Elias mused over the revelation. A healing ability would be convenient. Radiation was literally everywhere in the wastes so this would be sort of like an endless supply of stimpaks.

"I'm going to take some time to think this all through… keep this under wraps, will you? I think it best if this was a secret."

"Okie dokie! Thanks for all your help!" Moira called as he walked out the door.

Once outside, Elias glanced up at the sky. Apparently, he could heal from the UV rays of the sun. Curious to test that theory, he unwrapped the bandages around his hands and held said hands out in the direct sunlight. He gaged at the sight of the paled, charred and leathery look of the flesh. At first, nothing seemed to happen but not long after the rest of the proliferation phase of healing was surged on. The usual time for second degree burns to heal was several weeks, and that was with medical attention, it had been a couple of days so far for him. But now his body was already onto resurfacing his wounds, the… _what was it called again?_ Epithelialisation stage. Yeah, that was it. This was phenomenal. He had to show Charon.

As he excitedly made his way past the saloon and towards his new Megaton house he noticed a girl sitting on the edge of the catwalk alone, looking out at the rest of the settlement, legs oscillating over the side. But what caught the Wanderer's attention was the sullen look on her face. And his short moment of delight whittled away to allow a frown to form on his face.

Interested, he approached. "Hey, what's the matter? You seem upset."

She didn't look at him, instead down at her lap and Elias thought she might start to cry. "Hardon's with his dad learning to shoot and Billy's too busy to play with me…"

"So you're all by yourself," Elias finished for her. No idea who the two she mentioned were.

"Yeah…" she agreed with a sniffle, wiping her nose with her arm.

Lips pursed, Elias thought of a way to cheer her up. He'd feel guilty if he just left her here to sulk. But he didn't know the first thing about how children entertained themselves in the wasteland. When he was a child he spent most of his time reading and learning… or running amok with Amata. He knelt down beside the girl. "Tell you what," he said. "I've got a baseball and glove back at my house, we can play catch if you like."

This time she looked at him, a small grateful smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. "Really?"

"Really," he confirmed. "I'll go get them."

They spent the rest of the day giggling as they messed around like they were both innocent children and the world they lived in hadn't been blown to shit. The girl, who revealed her name to be Maggie, threw the ball so hard that it sailed over Elias' head and down into the crater hitting the raving preacher beside the bomb, knocking him into the pond.

Elias hadn't been able to crack a smile since Lucy's passing but now he found himself unable to breathe as he was convulsed with laughter. He only intended to lift her spirits but it seems she'd done the same for him.

But their elation was short lived because not long after, a man with a head wrap exited the house behind them to collect Maggie. He hoisted her up so that she was piggybacking him.

"Well, who's this? You never introduced me to your friend, Maggie," the man said, his head cocked round to look over his shoulder.

Elias slipped off the baseball glove to shake his hand. "You must be Billy. Elias, but you probably know me as the Lone Wanderer."

"The Lone Wanderer? You're the one that stopped that bombing attempt two weeks ago!" It had been that long? Elias checked his Pip-boy, it was true. "Man, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said, shaking the Wanderer's hand a little too eagerly. "Heard about that other stuff you've been up to on the radio, good on you."

Elias tried to smile but it looked more like a half-cringe. "Uh, thanks…"

"Well I guess it's time for Maggie to head to bed, see you later buddy."

It wasn't hard to tell that the girl was disappointed. "Aw but Billy," she whined.

"C'mon sweetie it's almost nine."

She pointed at Elias. "I want to play with the nice man, he said he'd teach me how to shoot like Hardon."

Billy looked at him.

The Wanderer shrugged. "If it's alright with you of course." He wasn't exactly sure if he'd have the time though.

"I'm always pretty busy and she's been asking me to teach her for a while now. Besides, who better to teach my little girl then the best warrior in the Wastes?"

Elias nodded but he didn't agree. If anything, that title belonged to Charon. He turned to the girl. "Here, how about you keep my ball and glove for next time?" He decided he'd likely never use them again so it was better to pass them on to someone that would. With a second of hesitation he fastened the glove onto her small hand and sat the ball in it.

She beamed. "Thanks mister!" Accepting the gifts.

Billy mouthed the words 'Thank you'.

With that, they went their separate ways. Billy and his adopted daughter to their house and Elias to his.

 **The Following Morning…**

Once again the Wanderer, his ghoul companion and the hound were on the move. Headed west shortly after dawn. Charon had said that this was the direction of a place called 'Evergreen Mills', which his father (in one of his recordings) had explained was nearby the location he left for; Vault 112. The ghoul wasn't sure where the other vault was, however, so Evergreen Mills was their next destination.

It wasn't long before they were upon the other vault. The vault Elias had left behind all those days ago.

"That's it up the hill," Elias said softly, a nod in that direction.

Charon stopped. "Huh?"

"Vault 101."

"Oh…"

With a sigh and one last glance at the wooden door separating the vault from the outside world, the Wanderer pressed onwards. That hole was behind him now and he was never returning.

The rest of the day had been quiet and uneventful, they made it quite a way before anything seemed to spook the ghoul into anxiety. Tense and watchful as they continued down a road towards a small cluster of wrecked buildings on the horizon, Elias noticed on more than one occasion, Charon checking the rear view mirrors of derelict cars on their path. Though he did it with a certain subtleness to it, only his eyes seemed to move. If not close or observant enough, it would be overlooked entirely.

As if able to tell what Elias was thinking, "I need to tell you something," Charon confessed. "And when I do, you mustn't react or turn your head to look behind you. Understand?"

Confused, Elias nodded dumbly. "…Yeah."

"Alright. We are being followed. A man in black combat armour much like your own. There's only one now but who knows how many may be nearby."

 _Fantastic. Just when I was starting to get comfortable._

Dumbstruck, Elias was quick to the inquiries. "Why? Is it one of Rivet City's security guards? What are they doing out here?"

"Those are good questions, the answers of which I intend to find out," the ghoul growled. After a few days spent with the ghoul, he was able to read Charon a little easier. What Elias recognised as his friend's pensive expression was adopted.

They took a look in a jalopy window. "It seems our shadow has disappeared," said Charon thoughtfully. Glancing back in the direction they came, eyes searching the landscape.

"That's a good thing. Maybe he's lost interest."

Charon disagreed. "No, it's not a good thing. I liked him where I could see him."

"So what do we do?"

"Keep walking. Pretend you are unaware."

So he did.

As they got closer to the pre-war town up the road, Charon spoke up once again, "He's going to try and cut us off around that corner and ambush us. I suggest we take the long way around."

Trusting the ghoul's judgement, Elias followed his lead.

But Charon made a mistake.

That seemed to be exactly what the mysterious figure intended.

Once they had circled the north side of the town, the two made a dash down the main road only to be blocked off by, what Elias recognised to be a black Ford Falcon XB Coupe. Dried mud splashed up the sides, glazing it over in a thick coat of brown. There were small patches of rust here and there but the car was certainly in a better condition than most other vehicles he'd seen so far.

Out of an old diner on their left emerged two figures in black combat armour like Charon had described earlier, they stepped out in front of the car carrying assault rifles.

Before the two could retreat in the other direction, two more men in combat armour flanked them. And another man of the same attire exited the vehicle on the driver side to join his friends.

"Charon," Elias whispered. "You know what I said about not needing a bodyguard? I take it back. Could use about ten right now."

The ghoul gave him a sideways glance. "You only need me." And there was the slightest trace of a smirk playing at his lips.

"Well, well. Would you look at that? 'Seems some strays got lost," the one, Elias assumed to be the leader, said. The man had a thick bushy monobrow that desperately need plucking. "You're the one that has caused Mr Tenpenny a great inconvenience. And when Mr Tenpenny has inconveniences, he comes to us."

Dogmeat bared his canines and barked at the man. The man next to Bushy-Monobrow stepped forward and kicked him away onto the concrete. Dogmeat whimpered and cowered behind Elias.

Gritting his teeth since he could do nothing else, Elias sneered at Dogmeat's abuser before turning to these bastard's leader. "What do you want?" Elias growled.

"You. Dead or alive, it don't matter which," Bushybrow answered. "So hand over your weapons."

Elias and Charon exchanged a glance, nodded and turned back to the man.

Gingerly, Charon withdrew both his machete and combat shotgun and Elias retrieved _Lincolns Repeater_ and _A3-21._ Both placing their weapons in Monobrow's and Dogmeat's attacker's hands respectively but not letting go.

"All of them," Monobrow enforced with a frustrated look over at the Wanderer.

With a grin, Elias reached to his sides and slipped out _Kneecapper_ and his N99 that he decided to affectionately christen 'Amata'. "How long have they been together?" he asked, looking at Mono.

The leader returned a confused look, his one eyebrow queried at one end. "Who?"

Elias' shit eating grin widened. "Your eyebrows."

Before any of the black adorned men could react; Elias tossed the sawed-off in the air to be caught by Charon with one hand and twisted his machete out of Monobrow's grasp before he drove the blade into the man's torso with his other.

Elias stepped to the side in a blur and hooked one arm around Dogmeat's attacker's neck in a choke and aimed his handgun at the man next to the car.

Charon did the same with the leader. _Kneecapper_ pointed at the pair that had been behind them.

"No sudden moves," Elias warned, slowly backing away towards the metro. _Always wanted to say that_ , he thought. He risked a quick glance behind him to avoid hitting the sign. 'Jury Street Metro Station', it read.

He looked back at the three others. The driver was leaning against the car door with his arms crossed, looking pretty amused with the way the ordeal had turned out. A stupid grin on his face. Like he was the very definition of nonchalance.

The duo that had been behind Elias and Charon both had their eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Sending dumb looks to one another and shrugging.

The man in Elias' grasp elbowed him in the ribs, loosening the Wanderer's grip, the man ducked out of the way of the bullet that fired from _Amata._ Now crouched on the ground, he dove for Elias' legs and tackled him to the ground.

 **Charon's POV:**

The ghoul and his captive saw this, the leader of whom Charon figured was a Talon Company squad attempted something similar but Charon would have none of it. He whacked Elias' sawed-off across the man's head and shoved him to the ground. Being sure to deliver a few kicks to his abdomen. It wouldn't kill him but it wouldn't tickle either.

Sliding one foot beneath his combat shotgun, _Terrible,_ Charon flicked it up into his hands and shot both men on the other side of the road as they raised their rifles to meet him. They were a second too late.

He then aimed at the mercenary still leaning against the car but that man's inactiveness confused him. Why was he not attacking like the others? Why was he not avenging his teammates? Something wasn't right here. Charon didn't like it. Not one bit. He didn't fire, but that didn't mean he was lowering the weapon or removing his finger from the trigger.

Dogmeat growled at the man and Charon knew he'd attack if the merc tried anything, giving him the opportunity to avert his attention to the struggle beside him. The man Elias was supposed to hold captive was on top of him, pummelling him with punches as the kid strained to keep his hands up protecting his head. They needed to work on his hand to hand fighting because he was clearly inept at this. It was almost embarrassing.

With a grumble, the ghoul kicked the merc off Elias and stomped on his head. Crushing his skull. Swiftly pointing his shotgun at the driver, straight after.

With every other Talon merc either dead or close to death, this one was the last one standing… and doing absolutely nothing.

Once Charon's friend had gotten up, the driver spoke, "Quite an impressive display," he said ironically, his eyes on Elias.

The Wanderer met his gaze with a look of cautious suspicion. "Why aren't you attacking us like your buddies?"

He simply shrugged his shoulders. "Don't want to waste my ammo," he replied. "As for 'my buddies', I only joined these halfwits 'cause I knew they'd be coming to pay you a visit. Wanted to see the 'Lone Wanderer' for myself and as far as I can tell-" His eyes briefly shifted to look at Charon before darting back to Elias, "-you've certainly lived up to that title," he explained, almost sardonically so. A thin smile on his face.

"Well now that you've seen me, you can leave. We promise we won't shoot you in the back."

Charon grunted. "Speak for yourself."

The Talon merc eyed the ghoul in open suspicion as if sure Charon meant it but he didn't address it. "Was hoping I could join you two actually. It looks like you could use the help."

Rolling his eyes, Elias scoffed. "And why would you want to do that?" he questioned in open cynicism, "It's on your bucket list?"

The nameless merc chuckled, but the laugh seemed like it belonged to someone more… feminine. As if realising that, the man cleared his throat. "Yes, it is. I like that your trying to help… we need more people like you in the world."

A Talon Company mercenary with a soft spot? He wasn't buying it. Talon Company were notorious for their cruel, merciless methods and never turning down a contract. No matter how inhumane. But that would explain why he didn't assist his teammates…

The ghoul knew Elias did not see that coming, he sent a look to Charon who returned it - both thinking along similar lines. "Then why wouldn't you assist us to take down the others? They were threatening our lives…"

The merc stood straight. "That would be cheating now, wouldn't it? I needed to see if you were truly as good as they say."

"And why should we let you tag along?"

"I've got a car and I'd bet that neither of you know how to drive," he said with a grin. "We can help each other."

That seemed to win Elias over. "Fine… but don't make me regret this."

With a wink, the merc then said, "You won't."

 **Elias' POV:**

Driving down the same road they'd been on when they were intercepted, they were all off on a steady pace towards Evergreen Mills. According to the unknown presence in the driver seat, they'd reach their destination in a few hours rather than a day if they had been on foot.

He was riding shotgun and Charon and Dogmeat were in the backseat.

Elias turned to the driver. "So… do you have a name?"

Without taking his eyes off the road, he answered the question with a question, "Do you?"

"Elias. Surprised you didn't know."

Grinning, "Yeah, Three-dog won't stop blaring on about you, I know. Thing is, he only refers to you as the 'Lone Wanderer'," he explained.

 _Figures_

"So what do we call you?"

He turned to look at the Wanderer. "Scar," he said. "Call me Scar."

 _What kind of name is that?_

"So… Scar, how did you come to afflict with the Talon Company? Or were you always a member?" Elias asked next. Before they had entered the car, Charon had pulled him aside and warned him about this man. Explaining that he was from Talon Company, another mercenary group except they weren't as amicable as Reilly's Rangers and did _anything_ for the right sum of caps.

Scar smirked smugly. "Slit the throat of the one that looked closest to me then I dragged his stickin' ass behind a rock and took his place."

Elias shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Though, he did take some comfort in the fact that the driver wasn't from Talon Company. "You're wearing a dead man's clothes?"

"No. This isn't Talon armour. Can you see the insignia anywhere?" he inquired, turning his torso to face Elias and pointing at his chest.

"No…" he said but he wasn't even sure what the insignia looked like.

"Exactly right. I had this on me when I was tailing them."

"And why were you tailing them, exactly?"

Scar groaned. "I told ya' back at the metro, they were hired to take you out of the picture." Another thin smile then appeared on his face. "Oh, and they had a car," he pointed out.

Before Elias could respond and ask how the man knew how to drive, Scar spoke again and the car skid to a halt. "That there is Evergreen Mills, hotbed for raiders." Pointing out to what looked like a giant crater with a ravine stretched out as an access point. "Remind me again why you two wanted to come to such a place."

Neither Elias nor Charon answered as they hopped out of the vehicle to get a better look. Scar opened his door to exit as well, binoculars in hand.

The Wanderer was first to speak. "We're going to someplace called 'Vault 112'. It should be directly west of here." He looked out in the direction he spoke of, only to see more rock and sun-baked dirt and sand.

"No idea where that is, sorry."

Charon, who had been squinting at the raider stronghold, turned to the Scar. "Mind if I use these?" he asked, gesturing the long lookers.

The merc shrugged. "Not at all," he said before returning to the conversation with Elias. "This vault place, what's so important about it?" he asked, eyeing the jumpsuit Elias had on. "Is it your vault?"

Elias wasn't sure if he should reveal his quest to the man. Sure he'd been helpful so far but how long would that last till his ulterior motive was manifested? Maybe he was being too cynical but after the incident with Jericho…

Speak of the devil.

Before he could answer, the ghoul nudged him and handed him the binoculars. "Entrance to Evergreen. You need to see this." Was his explanation.

Bemused, Elias obliged, averting his gaze through the lens to the mouth of the gorge where Charon had directed.

A raider party of four were hustling a few wastelanders along and into the outpost. Wastelanders Elias realised were slaves… or they were going to be, at least. Chains and cuffs securing the group together to ensure they wouldn't run off. At the point of said group was none other than Jericho.

Of the band, one raider kicked him into the dirt. Confirming to Elias that he had also been enslaved.

The Wanderer chuckled darkly. "Serves him right," he said in a mutter.

"These slaves, do you plan on getting them out?" Scar questioned from beside him.

Elias lowered the lens from his face and shook his head. "No we're not. It's not our problem."

That was when Charon decided to pipe up. "Was it your problem when you ordered us to rescue Reilly's Rangers? What about when you aided that android? What about when you freed me? Was it your problem?"

"I'm not putting my or others lives at jeopardy for _him_." He spat the last word out as if it were venom.

Charon didn't back down. "You'd do it for anyone else…"

He had a point but Charon was forgetting one thing.

"'Anyone else' didn't betray me to a bartender and ensure Lucy's death."

In the corner of his eye, Elias saw Scar looking between the two arguing unsurely. He kept his mouth shut though.

Finding that that approach wasn't getting him anywhere, Charon tried another. "If not for Jericho, do it for the other captives."

Elias gave the ghoul a long stubborn look before turning away. "Fine," he conceded.

 **Jericho's POV:**

"Move it old man!" One of his captors said. Shoving him in the back again with the butt of a hunting rifle.

"Respect your elders!" he barked back. Jericho never thought he'd say those words in his life. First time for everything, he supposed.

That earned him a boot in the back, sending him to the ground spluttering obscenities. The nerve of these assholes.

After a short round of laughs, they schlepped him to his feet and jostled him to move along. He did so reluctantly but not after sending dirty scowls their way.

They trekked through the gorge along one line of train tracks. Passing old train cartridges with patrolling guards on top either grinning or glowering at him and the slaves.

Eventually they made it into the heart and Jericho gaped around to take it all in. The place hadn't changed one bit since he'd been here last and that was about five years ago. Except for, of course, the behemoth these idiots managed to imprison. That was new. It was located in the very centre in the arena as if they were showing it off. The fence buzzed and spat electric bolts. _They electrocuted the fence?_ He had to hand it to them, that was pretty smart. He heard about them capturing it but here he could see it with his own eyes.

Jericho and the other prisoners were directed into a fenced off area to join with about seven other wasters already inside.

After the four marched off. Jericho slumped down in the dirt, his hands on his knees. He watched different raiders from different gang's strut about like they owned the place. Some gangs he recognised, some he didn't. "Well, this is a nice change of scenery."

"It's a prison," a man clad in filthy rags retorted. Sitting over in one of the corners with three others huddled against each other. Probably a family.

Jericho sent him an annoyed look. "Ever heard of sarcasm?" he retorted. "Now, what do you losers do for fun in 'ere?" Maybe if they had snuck in some sort of tool he could escape.

No one answered but the sound of approaching raiders. Boots crunching the gravel. Jericho caught a bit of their conversation once they were close enough.

"We got a few of the bastards. Escaped slaves I think," one of them said. "'Dem ones had collars on 'em when we found 'em."

The raider that had spoken was part of the band that had brought Jericho here. He strolled up to fence, accompanied by another that the ex-raider didn't recognise. Well, Jericho didn't honestly think he was a raider, he wore actual clothing rather than rags and scrap metal and from the state of his eyes, didn't look like he regularly injected crap into himself.

"See?" The first said. He was wearing a tire over his shoulder earning him the title of 'Tire-shoulder' to Jericho.

The second nodded in approval. "Very good." He looked over each slave in the pen before his gaze then settled on Jericho. "The one in the middle, what about him?"

"Dunno, he was just… with 'em. Didn't have no collar," said tire-shoulder.

The second stepped up to the fence. "You there, in the leather. Who are you?"

Jericho knew he was speaking to him but looked around for someone else in leather anyway. Just to piss him off. He then pretended to recognise that he was being addressed. "Oh, you're talking to me." He sniggered. "My name's 'Go Fuck Yourself'."

Unamused, the guy crossed his arms. "Your parents must've loved you."

"Dearly."

The man shook his head and gave up asking about his name. "What were you doing with these slaves?"

"Making 'em dinner." That wasn't exactly false. He didn't cook them jack shit but he did let them eat from his food stash.

Jericho had been headed off to his old raider hideout back from the days when he ran with one of the gangs. He hadn't been there in a while and it was as good a place as any to lie low with Elias out and about, Jericho didn't want to cross paths with him or his pet ghoul ever again. He knew the feeling was mutual. He couldn't return to Megaton either, Moriarty'd have his head for failing the task and still getting paid for it.

Once he was there, the ex-raider stumbled upon a bunch of escaped slaves that had been using his old place to hide from slavers. He let them.

It wasn't till he went out to hunt for food that the raiders found them. They must've followed him back because once he finished digging in to his kill they showed up at his door.

And now he was here. In this pit.

Tire-shoulder produced a briefcase that they had stolen off him. "Had this with him," he said, holding it out for the other guy.

The man interrogating Jericho tore his eyes away from the pen and briefly glanced over the case. When he realised what exactly the contents were his eyes narrowed. "Where did you get this?" he questioned forcefully, his gaze still locked on the contents of the briefcase.

"Your mother's bedroom."

Jericho half expected him to be enraged but instead, he merely chuckled before saying, "I wouldn't be surprised if that was true."

Jericho gave him sideways look, one brow raised.

"I don't suppose you have a torture chamber here by any chance?" he asked the raider beside him. If he didn't know the answer to that question, he certainly wasn't from here. Jericho presumed he was one of the occasional emissaries sent over by Eulogy Jones, who was in charge of the largest slave operation in the Capital. The ex-raider was never really sure why they were sent.

The raider, in response, nodded. "That's not what we call it, though."

The man turned on his heel, snatching the case. "Grab the man in leather," he ordered from over his shoulder.

"Great," Jericho muttered as he was hoisted to his feet.

 _To the torture chamber we go!_

 **Elias' POV:**

"So… either of you got a plan? Or are we just going to run in there, guns blazing, shoot up the place and hope we make it out alive?" Scar questioned the both of them.

Elias lowered the binoculars that the three had been sharing. "Sounds like as good a plan as any."

"We're doomed."

"I'm kidding. There's no way we're getting through with a direct approach. We'd be shot down immediately." He kept his gaze on the raider fort, looking for another way in.

"We should strike when fortune favours us," Scar advised.

The Wanderer nodded. "Agreed. Under the cover of darkness would be our best bet." Looks like the scouting lessons Charon had lectured Elias with were paying off. "I'm going to get a closer look."

And without further warning, he tore off his combat armour and rifles till he was just in his vault suit with _Amata, Kneecapper_ and his combat knife. He then took off down the hill they were perched on.

"If I'm not back within an hour, assume the worst!" he called back.

He felt both Charon and Scar's eyes on his back as he raced over to infiltrate the Evergreen Mills, disappearing behind a rocky outcrop.

After what felt like hours but was merely a few minutes of climbing, he heaved himself up onto yet another stone ledge with a grunt. Once at the top of the hill on the right side of the valley he let himself fall flat with a sigh. He was already exhausted.

There, right before him was a narrow dirt path snaking in between the ridge of this hill. He picked himself up and slid down.

There were watchtowers erected on either side of the valley, opposite one another. Excellent vantage points that would allow him a better view of the layout of Evergreen Mills. But also manned with snipers that he could see from his position.

Elias followed along the path towards the base of the tower on his side in a slight crouch to avoid being spotted. Once there, he began his climb.

 _Don't look down, don't look down, don't fucking look down_

The Washington Monument was much higher than this. What was the big deal? He wasn't going to fall to a pathetic and miserable death in some raider outpost like he almost did Vernon Square.

He _wished_ he could believe that.

Once he was just a few rungs from the top, he raised his head so that his eyes were level with the platform. There was one sniper up here, half asleep in a dining chair and facing the opposite direction.

This was his chance. He hesitantly let one hand go of the ladder to reach into his boot for his combat knife. After all, this had to be done stealthily or the entire place would be alerted.

 _Nice going dumbass, you looked down_

Elias shuddered, feeling dizzy as a wave of nausea overcame him and pushed himself up onto the platform. He took two steps before the marksman turned his head. Before the man could stand, Elias grabbed him by the shoulder from behind and slammed the knife into his throat. The chair fell backwards with the raider's lifeless body.

Elias seized the sniper rifle from his lap.

 _Silenced. Good._

Not trusting his own ability with a sniper, Elias held his breath and used VATS to score a hit in the raider on the other tower's cheek.

Lowering the rifle, Elias exhaled forcefully before bringing the scope to his eye once more and turning towards the rabble that was Evergreen Mills.

Scanning the layout through the scope, he observed the many shack structures circumjacent to the main building - the factory. There was also a slave pen and an arena with a behemoth caged inside. Was that normal?

He zoomed in and could make out the raiders patrolling the area. They seemed to be separated in groups or 'gangs', as Lucy and Jericho used to say. Some had different colours and items of clothing according to their gang and were designated to a certain district. The gang that was the most prominent was one with some sort of black emblem of a skull engulfed in flames that they had painted on their backs. Jericho would know more.

Speaking of Jericho, where was that bastard? His eyes searched the slave pen, there was about ten in there but no Jericho. He looked to the main path, there he was, being shoved along by one of his captors towards the main building.

Elias groaned. This was going to be much harder than he thought.

He looked back to where the car was parked and considered going back to let the ghoul and mercenary know about this. No, that would take too much time and besides, he had a few scores to settle with the ex-raider. Scores that Charon wouldn't approve of.

Elias left the tower and made haste for the crater part of Evergreen Mills. Sniper Rifle in hand.

Somewhat relieved when he spied the sun setting on the horizon, Elias allowed a small smile to form. Sneaking in the dark would be easier than in the light.

Once there, he glanced over the ledge. It was a good three-meter way down, if he slipped he'd break a few bones. There was no doubt about it.

Below was one of the guard shacks he'd spotted through the scope, bush and shrub bordering the sides and back walls. A great hiding spot. He'd crouch in that, sneak into the shack, search for a disguise and head off to find Jericho. The slaves weren't going anywhere.

 _First things first_

When the group of raiders talking a few paces away from the shack he was intending to enter had their backs turned, Elias stumbled down the slope. Losing his footing halfway and ending up slipping onto his ass, dirt and loose gravel sliding underneath him.

One of the raiders must've heard him during his decent since he strode over to investigate. A buddy of his called after him, "Hey, where're ya' goin', Bert?"

'Bert' approached the shrub and scanned it wearily but didn't spot the Wanderer as Elias had snuck behind the shack and out of view. "Thought I heard something," he called back, slinging his machete back into its scabbard.

The raider that had first spoken sent a goofy grin to his friends. "Are you… _sher-bert?"_

That must've been some sort of inside joke as everyone within earshot except Bert burst into laughter.

Bert turned to scowl at them. "I hate you all."

Elias snorted as he tried to stifle a chuckle of his own.

As soon as Bert and the others had moved off Elias ducked into the shack to find it vacant. The inside of the shack was just as sordid and squalid as the outside. After rifling around through junk and other sundries, he found dirty rags that had to pass as a shirt and pair of pants.

He held them up and winced slightly at the thought of himself wearing it but shook it off and glanced down at the vault jumpsuit he was still in. The jumpsuit was torn and shredded in most places and submerged in filth and grime, fading the vibrant blue and yellow it once adorned. But a disguise would allow to hide in plain sight while searching for the grizzled ex-raider. Waltzing around dressed in a vault jumpsuit was bound to raise a few eyebrows after all.

Elias took a deep breath and stepped out of the clothing. It was a shame, that had been his most favoured suit in the vault.

After a few moments of sliding on old raider clothing and armour he stepped out of the shack.

Dusk.

Now all he had to do was act in character. As he ambled along towards the foundry where he last saw Jericho being taken a few raiders passed by, they didn't spare any second glances to send his way but being such close proximity to them made him nervous. He picked up the pace.

 **Scar's POV:**

Eyes on the largest raider stronghold the Capital Wastes dared to claim, the merc wouldn't admit it aloud but he was starting to get worried. Elias signed his own death warrant walking into that place.

He looked over at Elias' companion sitting on a rock a few paces away, he couldn't read whatever was on the ghoul's mind from his expression but he was certain that the guy was thinking along similar lines.

Poking his head through the window of the car to check the time, his worry only swelled. It had been two hours.

How ironic. As soon as he finds the kid, he goes off and gets himself killed… or possibly captured five seconds later. And he himself certainly wasn't doing any good just waiting around, one of the things the merc hated most was feeling as if he were useless.

"It's been over an hour. Think we should go after him?" the mercenary asked, sliding off the hood of the car. Trying to not let his impatience show.

The ghoul, whose name he was still unaware, didn't spare him so much as a glance. "He's gone after him alone," the ghoul muttered. More to himself that anything else.

Was Elias always this impulsive? "Does he pull this kinda shit often?"

"Yes." Was all he got in reply.

They spent a moment or so longer watching the outpost as if expecting it to erupt in gunfire at any second.

The mercenary sprung into the driver seat and waited a second for the ghoul and to get in. The dog was asleep in the backseat. He put the car in gear and it roared into life, swerving on the spot and kicking up dirt.

He gave the matter some thought, mulling over the various possibilities and that was when he decided to plunge headlong into folly and delve into a raider base to collect two madmen.

Reaching under his seat, he pulled out his black combat armour helm and fastened it on. Taking the hint, Charon did the same.

Without further warning, the Ford sped down the hill and towards Evergreen. Hightailing it through the gorge, swerving to avoid train cartridges.

The ghoul wriggled the top half of his body out the window of the passenger's side and used a repeater the merc had seen Elias with to shoot a raider on a bridge stretched across the gorge above them.

Once he could see the gorge widen to expand out for the main area, he veered to the left and sent the car up a ramp of a train cart that had over time sunk into the ground so that it was on a slope. They were launched into the air off the gradient, gliding a few meters before descending to the ground right in the middle of the yard, spinning around in a half donut to steer clear of the behemoth enclosure so that the front of the vehicle was facing the only exit.

As soon as the door swung open, the mercenary rolled out and popped up turned towards the car, he watched raiders flood in on the ghoul's side. The ghoul had his shotgun pointed squarely at the merc's forehead from over the car and the young man feared he was about to be shot. "Get down," the ghoul growled.

The mercenary complied.

The shell whizzed over his head and pierced the skin of a raider that had tried to get the drop on him.

More and more raiders of different gangs closed in on them, some punching into their hands or cracking their knuckles and others prepping their pipe guns and rifles in anticipation of what was to come.

The ghouls switched into a defensive stance; left foot in front, hands up at the ready with one fisted around a gleaming machete.

The mercenary mirrored the posture and flicked his twin bowie knife's up into his grasp. Using a gun was too risky, he'd only get in a shot or two before the raiders would be upon him.

The first raider to throw himself into the fight swung at the ghoul with a cleaver only to be countered, the ghoul seizing hold of the guy's wrist with his left hand and running him through with the machete in his right, twisting for good measure.

Glancing over at the cluster of shacks on the east side, the merc recognised it, he had been here once before… on business… and that was where they kept the prisoners the sick bastards liked to torture. The animal cages could be seen from where he was standing. This 'Jericho' fellow, the ghoul mentioned wasn't in the slave pen. He'd quickly scanned the coop when literally flying into the mill and no one inside was wearing leather like the ghoul described. And even if by some slim chance he was there, the ghoul would get to him.

Knowing what he needed to do, the mercenary ditched this suicidal battle and took off.

 **Elias' POV:**

Of course the foundry had to be as dark as an uncharted cave and only add to his already high discomfort. There was a dim lantern on the floor in the centre of a trio of raiders but it hardly illuminated anything.

The raiders looked him up and down as they munched on kebabs of unidentified meat.

"Who's he? Never seen him 'fore," one whispered as Elias walked by towards a stairwell.

Another, lying on their side and propped up on one elbow answered, "I dunno. Who cares? Probably just some new meat anyways."

Maybe at some point in the past he would've been offended by the comment by right now, he was glad and thankful that they were shrugging him off. He sent them a timid smile as he gulped and quickened his steps into a power walk. Not feeling as safe without the company and support of a companion.

And he could've sworn, in that moment he felt the earth shake. Though, he dismissed it as;

 _Probably just the behemoth rattling its cage_

Elias wandered around a bit and explored the place, doubting that Jericho was here and wondering why there were such a lack of inhabitants till he came across a room with the floor subsided and collapsed in on itself. A large ruckus could be heard from inside.

Thinking the ex-raider might be down there, Elias ventured forth through the tunnel.

The noise grew louder and louder as the Wanderer stepped closer and closer till he got a look at the place. The cavern gave way to a huge bazaar swarmed with raiders like Elias had just walked in on a human beehive. Raider hotbed alright.

Arranged around a central stone pillar were wooden platforms connected by a series of ramps. There was a small bar upon first entrance to the right with a bartender and group of patrons, over on the other side of the stone pillar was a shop with a stage and two stripper poles, dancers assigned accordingly. A large assembly of raiders with front row seats.

There was no way Jericho was here in this cave complex. This was just some sort of hub of entertainment.

About to leave, something caught his eye.

Underneath the boards joining the platforms together was a narrow passage way to a small storeroom filled to the brink with boxes, crates and barrels. Sure enough, when he scuttled over for a better look what he found were kegs of black powder.

 _This is for Lucy…_

He used his knife to gouge a hole in the bottom of one of them, big enough to fill his hands and create a little trail as he backed out of the storeroom and towards the tunnel. He then grabbed one of the torches used to illumine the cavern and flicked a glowing ember upon the tail of the fuse. Steeling himself for the sizzling sound it made and thanking the raiders for being so noisy they missed it completely.

As the fuse fizzed away, he hoped he hadn't inadvertently broken the trail or trickled it onto something wet or a raider would arrive and catch him in the act…

Of course, one did. The raider noticed the line of fuse and his eyes widened, his mouthed formed an O as he turned to warn everyone within the vicinity.

Elias snatched his combat knife and threw it like held seen Lucy do so many times before.

 _Hey pal, I think you lost this._

It caught him in the throat just above the collar bone. Not a particularly accurate shot but it did the job well enough. So instead of shouting the alarm he made a muted, strangulated croak and slumped forward with his hands scrabbling away at his neck.

A few other raiders saw him drop dead but it was too late, the fuse was already at the storeroom.

They didn't know what hit them.

Elias turned his back, put his hands over his ears and curled up into a ball as the explosion tore across the stone. Something came crashing to the floor of the cave from behind him and Elias knew it was those dingy platforms. Something soft and wet then hit him in the back and he winced to even imagine what it was.

After the crack of the explosion, the screams and yells of raiders and the rumble of the walls were all he could hear.

He snapped his eyes open, witnessing blown up raiders in various states of mutilation and dismemberment, most dead and others pleading for death. He then watched his surroundings vibrate and shake, knowing this place was going to collapse at any second just like the platforms.

The wanderer scrambled to his feet, collecting his knife. The ceiling showering splinters, rubble, plaster and floating embers caused him to cough and splutter, he waved his hand in front of his face to clear smoke and particles of soot and peered into the fog to search for the tunnel.

And then he saw him.

 **Jericho's POV:**

He'd been tossed unceremoniously into a dingy cell inside one of the shacks and left to rot, the door slamming shut behind him with an ominous clang. The raider that brought him here was on guard outside and the man that had accompanied the raider had left to get 'tools' but hadn't returned yet. Now he was even further away from the exit to this place.

He glanced around his new home, three walls of corrugated iron and one of iron bars enclosing into an empty cell. Empty of everything except him, of course. He looked through the gaps in the bars to see a desk with various equipment from hammers to knifes. A liquid that looked suspiciously like blood splashed on the ends of some. Jericho winced, even as a raider he never agreed with some of the acts other raiders would commit. Torture was one of them.

He sighed and flopped down with his back against the wall, legs out in front of him, one slightly bent at the knee and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe it wasn't worth attempting an escape, he was just going to die out in the wastes anyway. But that had to be better than dying by the hand of people he used to run with. He was screwed.

Jericho perked his head when he heard voices outside. One was certainly the guard's but the other wasn't the other man's… no, it sounded younger and… seductive?

A minute later the door crashed down the raider's body followed by a young man entering the shack adjusting his hair. When his eyes landed on Jericho he smiled but the ex-raider found it almost petrifying, chilling him to the bone. And he was bombarded with crazy thoughts ringing through his head.

 _Is he here to kill me?_

 _Oh God, who sent him?_

 _It was Moriarty wasn't it?_

 _Fuck!_

"You must be Jericho. I'm here to get you out."

 _Wait, what?_ Someone came to rescue him? "And you are?"

"A friend. That's all you need to know," he said as the cell door creaked open.

Not daring to move and remaining on the floor, Jericho squinted at him in suspicion. "I don't have any friends," he said wearily.

"You do now." The mysterious young man held out his hand to help him up, Jericho eyed him and hesitantly accepted the offer.

He reclaimed his Chinese Assault Rifle, the _Xuanlong_ , slinging it over his shoulder they both emerged out into the night. "Where are we goin'?" he demanded.

"Follow me."

They walked through the labyrinth of shacks and tents, the whole time he spent it wondering why there wasn't any raiders here and what was making all that racket, till they made it past the last hovel and the behemoth cage was visible out in the courtyard. In front of it was a car and a horde of around thirty raiders, in the centre of which Jericho could make out the ghoul, Charon.

 _They_ were here?

His rescuer cursed something under his breath and ran off to join the fray but Jericho didn't move, _couldn't_ move.

He watched the ghoul drop to one knee to narrowly avoid a swipe at his head, slicing the attackers left quadriceps in one swift motion. Body folding in on itself, the raider's back was left exposed – perfect opportunity for Charon to slam his machete wielding fist down upon it. There was no doubt a sickening crack of the bones in the man's spine as he dropped and Charon moved on to his next opponent.

Before the raider could so much as raise his spiked bat, Charon plunged the blade into his gut then he kicked him off the blade to meet the attack of another.

He dodged a thrust of a makeshift short sword and threw his blade from over his shoulder at the woman.

Bullets from raiders attacking him from afar riddled his armour but he shrugged them off as if it were nothing and surged onwards, charging into an unlucky and unarmed raider shoulder first, bulldozing him over.

Charon was incredible, which is why Jericho feared and awed him at the same time. But no matter how good of a fighter he was, there was no way he could keep this up.

As if somehow jinxed by Jericho's negative thoughts, a buff raider with a shield and massive one-sided axe bashed him in the back, catching him off guard. The ghoul stumbled forward and was smashed once again with the shield sending him to the ground.

His fall was avenged by the kid that had freed him, he shot the shield wielding raider from behind a few times. The raider spun around with a snarl and swung the sheet of metal in front of him to block the bullets. Running towards the kid full speed.

Jericho shook himself from his daze as his rescuer rolled to the side to evade the charge, and pulled around his assault rifle, peppering the raiders kicking at Charon.

The ghoul pushed himself up and reached for his weapons, raising his shotgun up to shoot a raider that had jumped onto the hood of the car just as Jericho received incoming fire from raiders that had spotted him.

Cursing, the ex-raider dove for cover and hunkered down.

From his position he could see a raider armed with a missile launcher perched upon the top of a train cart. Jericho knew exactly what she sought to hit: the car. If that exploded, both Charon and whoever the new guy was were dead since they were in range of the blast. And Jericho also knew exactly what he needed to do.

She was busy reloading right now, giving him the chance to make his move. He darted along the rocks, leaping across gaps flawlessly and without so much as a slip till he reached the train. He took a few steps back for a run up, sprinting as fast as his old legs would carry him and pounced.

Jericho tackled her down just as she had her sights locked.

"Sorry about this," he said before he knocked her unconscious.

Claiming the launcher for himself, Jericho took aim and blew apart raiders up on the platforms and sent them crashing to the ground.

That's when he heard the roar. A frighteningly _familiar_ roar that swooped across the valley, drowning out the clap of gunfire and seemed to almost have the rocks shuddering in terror.

The roar of the Behemoth.

A new wave of anxiety washed over him.

The caged behemoth sought to be caged no longer, violently thumping against its restraints and tearing down the walls of its prison. Released and free to wreak havoc upon its tormenting captors.

There were very few things the wasteland had to offer that could make Jericho even remotely fearful. Supermutant Behemoths were certainly on that list, at the top to be exact. When he survived the behemoth attack back at GNR, he could hardly believe it. He was sure he, and everyone else present that day were done for. Supermutant lunch. There was no way he was surviving a _second._

Everyone stopped fighting each other and directed their attacks to the monstrous beast as it slammed its fists into the dirt, sending any too close flying and the rest into disarray.

The new guy took the wheel of the car and spun out of the way, zooming off to avoid behemoth number two. "To whoever's responsible for the behemoth, I will murder you!" he yelled from his car a fist raised menacingly out the window.

Jericho chuckled. That would be the latest Top Dog. 'Top Dog's' were raider leaders that ran their own camps. Usually they would have to defeat their predecessor in the arena in order to claim ownership, their gang would become the ruling army and had first say on everything in the outpost.

A guy named 'Maddog', often called 'The strangler' by his crew, was the current leader of Evergreen Mills. He'd extirpated all competition for the position in the arena a few years back just after Jericho retired with a beast of a weapon called 'Chopper', then the barbarian somehow managed to cage a Supermutant Behemoth and now no one, not even a drug induced raider, was foolish enough to contest with him…

Jericho smiled slightly as a thought occurred to him. "Well, maybe the vault kid would," he said aloud.

It was in that moment an explosion rocked the valley, shaking the ground with a monstrous quake, flames surrounded in black smoke shot up through the chimneys of the factory.

The worst of it all? It had nothing to do with the rampaging Behemoth...

 **Elias' POV:**

Amidst the cloud of smoky fog stood the buffest man Elias had ever laid eyes upon. From head to toe, he was muscle bounded to the point where he almost looked unnatural. A nasty scar of three streaks was slashed across his check that resembled the work of a bear claw, except Elias was sure those were extinct. Bald headed. His lips curled in a snarl that bared slightly rotten teeth.

Without consciously realising it, Elias took a cautious step back.

"Congratulations, kid. You have successfully infiltration the largest raider camp in the Capital and destroyed the main supply of powder." His voice transitioned into a growl that sent a chill done Elias' spine. _"Now, you **pay**!"_

That was the moment the Wanderer noticed the doubled edged axe stumped in the dirt beside the man who clenched his fist around the grip and hefted it up into both hands. Elias could've sworn a grim smile made a short appearance on his face before he charged forward, no longer blocking the tunnel entrance but now blocking Elias' way forward.

The Lone Wanderer threw himself out of the way, turning around to see Hercules crash into a large boulder that had fallen from the ceiling of the cavern.

 _Fuck that shit._ He wasn't sticking around to be smashed to smithereens. He rose hastily from his semi-recumbent position on the ground and dashed off through the tunnel to the main factory. With a sharp turn, he sprinted down the staircase and beelined for the doors to the outside. Passing a few raiders cowering behind a bar. Saving Jericho was not worth his life.

The sound of Hercules' roar from somewhere behind him egged him to speed up. Elias glided out the foundry and into the courtyard of Evergreen Mills. He expected a raider crowd around the doors to the factory since they no doubt heard the explosion, he did not, however, expect there to be a crowd around a Supermutant Behemoth that had broken loose.

"What the?" he asked the empty space in front of him followed by an out of breath huff.

He watched as the Behemoth chomped the head off a raider in his hand before tossing the body away and stomping on a few other raiders gathered at its feet and stabbing it.

The Ford Falcon was circling the mass of raiders being torn apart by the Supermutant, Scar shooting out his window with a SMG. Charon was making a break for some cover and Jericho was perched upon a train carriage with a missile launcher mounted upon his shoulder.

A rocket zoomed passed the behemoth and smashed two raiders shooting at it's flank.

This was chaos.

 _Well, at least it's a big target_

"You released the Behemoth?! You fool!" the Hercules raider yelled from behind him, stomping up to him.

Elias spun around to face the raider, his hand snaking down to subtly grip _Kneecapper._ "Wasn't me," he answered.

"You're dead."

"Really? Because I haven't felt so alive."

With an enraged bellow, the man swung his axe towards Elias' neck but today wasn't the day for decapitations as Elias ducked and tackled the man by the waist, popping two shells in Hercules' side.

The raider yelped and shoved Elias away with the axe in both hands, wincing at the pain the motion brought. One hand left the hilt of the axe and down to clamp around the wound, the crimson of blood staining it along with the raider's armour.

Furious now, the beast of a man attempted another swing but it was sluggish and restricted, Elias effortlessly dodged the attack and Hercules staggered as the axe flew out of his grasp and to the ground.

Not going to miss such an opportunity, Elias took aim with the sawed-off.

The shotgun was empty.

Elias cursed as he holstered it and reached for his N99.

Hercules turned to him instead of retrieving the battle-axe. "Oh no you don't," he grunted. His fist smashed into Elias' gut in an uppercut, discharging his breath from his lungs. The Wanderer coughed as his body folded forward and before he had the chance to react, another fist found his cheek. In the blink of an eye, he found himself face down in the dirt.

With a groan, Elias rolled onto his back. His head was swimming, his vision blurred and disoriented. He blinked a few times as if the action would return his focus, that's when he noticed the Hercules raider dragging the axe through the dirt towards him.

Elias patted his thigh where his N99 should've been. When he realised it wasn't there, he glanced over beside him. His pistol had clattered off.

His opponent clenched his teeth as he heaved the double-bladed weapon above his head, preparing to smite down upon Elias' sprawled out form.

The Wanderer didn't need to think to know he needed to move. He rolled away just as the blade hissed past and lodged into the ground Elias had been upon a moment ago.

Clambering to his feet, Elias dashed for the handgun. Sliding feet first and collecting it along the way. He skimmed across the ground till he came to a halt, propping himself up on one knee in a position that resembled an archery stance, he shot Hercules' as many times as his clip would allow.

The buff raider stopped mid stride and took in the sight of his own body riddled with bullets. His face fell slack, his mouth opened to speak but nothing audible escaped his lips, colour drained from his face as he looked back up at the Wanderer wide eyed.

His mouth snapped shut and he gulped before, with more success, he managed to say something. "H… how?" he rasped, dropping to one knee.

Elias slowly stood up as his brow furrowed ever so slightly. "I… don't know…"

Hercules stared at him and for a second, his rage returned, a spark ignited in his eye, he accumulated his battle-axe, swinging it for one last time… but this time, he let go. The weapon gyrated through the air at utmost speed towards Elias who only managed to turn his body to avoid the whirling blade. He was clipped on the shoulder before the axe impaled itself into the back wall of a shack behind him.

"Gah!"

The Wanderer staggered back, cradling his shoulder. A special sneer was sent to the Hercules raider but it faded when he realised that the man had fallen dead.

He was dragged back into reality by Jericho who shouted out for him, "Kid! Get your ass over here and help us!"

Elias turned towards the source. Jericho the ex-raider was waving him over, a blend of frustration and desperation in his expression, still on the train carriage.

Bewildered, Elias remembered the Behemoth when his gaze landed on it as the Supermutant swiped at the bullets whizzing through the air toward it, howling in frustration. It paused when it's eyes met Eli's. The Wanderer froze for a second as he stared from afar, its eyes like windows into hell itself.

Using the moment of distraction to their advantage, Scar drove the car between the mutant's legs from behind and Charon, who was on the currently on the back, lit aflame a petrol container and tossed it up for the beast.

The gas exploded at the apex of the parabola it would've formed had it reached the ground, burning the flesh of the Behemoth's bare stomach. It screamed and stumbled back, tripping backwards over one of the raider barracks and crushing the cluster of shacks behind it as the beast toppled down upon them.

Elias glanced back at the axe transpierced in the wall and ran over, when he couldn't pull it out, he braced one foot on the wall and pushed with it, tugging with his arms. Once free, Elias gave the blade a few test swings, marvelling at how heavy it was and the fact that the Hercules raider could wield it as if it were a small knife.

With a deep breath, the Wanderer sprinted off for the deformed Behemoth, battle-axe clutched tightly against his chest.

The Supermutant Behemoth attempted to push itself back up, failed and dropped back into the pit of flattened raider shack its huge backside must've created.

Scar jumped out of his car along with Charon as Elias whirled past.

The Wanderer leapt upon an inclined wall for a ramp, took two steps and vaulted onto the Behemoth's leg, commando rolled to evade a swipe by the mutant's hand, sprung back up and dashed for the Behemoth's head. Once he was where he deemed close enough, he pulled the axe out into one hand and pounced, axe raised above his head and smashed down onto the Behemoth's with a mighty roar.

If Elias had been at the strength of the Wastelands Hercules, he would've split apart the Supermutant's head and dissected it in two. But he wasn't, the axe only plunged about halfway as the blood splashed up at him.

The Wanderer let go of the hilt and stepped back, onto the Behemoth's chest. Deep, breaths escaping his lips as his mind caught up with his body and he realised what he'd just accomplished.

A shout of relief tore across the courtyard by all that remained of the battle, raiders, slaves and Elias' companions alike.

He turned, alamort, to face the many people gawking up at him on top of a Supermutant Behemoth… a _dead_ Supermutant Behemoth. Some stared in awe, some in astonishment and others in fear.

It was in that moment that Elias muttered the two words ringing through everyone present's mind;

"Holy shit…"

After the caravaners that would escort the slaves back to a safe settlement extorted as much caps as their ravenous hands could possibly carry from Elias, the party of four returned to the car and prepared to set off in search of Vault 112.

"Wait for me!"

Elias, who was about to hop inside, paused.

 _Oh I'll wait for you, alright_

Once Jericho was close enough, Elias delivered a nice punch to the man's face.

The ex-raider reeled away, clutching the lower half of his face. He spat onto the ground and wiped his face with his forearm. "I guess I deserved that," he said.

"That and more," Elias agreed.

Jericho gave him a cautious once over. "I'm coming with you, right?"

Elias folded his arms and pulled his best unimpressed look. "After what you've done?" He snickered. "I don't think so." The Wanderer turned his back on him and opened the car door again. That traitor wasn't inviting himself into the group this time.

"Then why would you come after me?"

"I came for the slaves, not you." The Wanderer looked up into the car, Scar and Charon were both staring blank-faced from the front seats.

"You have to take me with you, kid. I need something to do, something to keep me occupied and away from the alcohol, from the sketchy jobs… I need… purpose. When I was travelling with you and the blond-"

 _"Lucy,"_ Elias corrected forcibly.

"You and Lucy," he said heedfully. "I had that. I had purpose."

The Wanderer averted around this time. "What? To sell us out to Moriarty?"

"No. To help you. To help you save people… for whatever reason," he added under his breath.

With a scoff, Elias shook his head and turned back to the car. He didn't even know why he was still listening to this malarkey.

"You can't just leave me here to die off in the wastes. You don't have it in you. Please, _Elias_... I'll do anything…"

For one last time, Elias looked back, over his shoulder. Jericho had his head hung, he turned back and waved dismissively. "You know what? Forget it. Forget I ever asked. Forget I was ever here." And he walked down the hill.

Sighing, "Wait," said Elias. Jericho looked back. "You can come… but on my conditions. You answer to me, stop calling me "kid" and if I so much as suspect any treachery from you, you're out."

The ex-raider stepped up to him, a new spark of hope glinting in his eye, he grabbed a hold of Elias' hand and shook it eagerly numerous times before Elias withdrew his hand. "Thank you, k- I mean, Hawke," he corrected. "I promise you won't regret this."

 _I better not_

"And one other thing… I get to call you 'Jerry'…"

* * *

 **A/N: Haven't really edited this last bit, do tell if it feels a bit drab.**

 **How many Mad Max references could you pick up? There's about ten.**

 **Oh and Scar is an OC of mine. Got a nice backstory planned out for _him._**

 **Rate this chapter and my story:**

 **0- you need to go back and rewrite this at least a hundred times.**

 **5- Alright**

 **10- Fabulous**

 **Next chapter will be out in 20 weeks. XD**


	11. Chapter 11: A Walk Down Tranquility Lane

**Inspiration: Assassin's Creed Animus, Fallout Wiki - Tranquillity Lane**

 **Shout outs: Alexeij, Mandalore the Freedom, Xx13deathsxX, Guest of Nov 7th, SXYPigeon and PaladinDelta**

 **A/N: I've stayed up till 3 am finishing this, hope you guys are happy.**

* * *

Chapter 11: A Walk Down Tranquillity Lane

 **Jericho's POV:**

Jericho stared through his reflection in the window of the car at the passing desert, heading with the others to who knew where. At one point, he could see Tenpenny Tower and the factory beside it in the distance but his view of them disappeared behind an overpass. He'd never been in a vehicle before and his inexperience was clear as he had spent the first hour or so clutching the handle of the door along with anything else nearby to keep himself grounded as if he'd fly off if he didn't hold on. Eventually, he eased into the occasional rocking of the car as it rode over the buckles and lumps in their path, letting himself relax.

Everyone was silent. Elias, in the front seat, was gazing around through his window and the windscreen as if searching for something. Jericho's rescuer was driving. The mutt, Dogmeat, was standing with his hind legs on the ghoul's, hanging his head out the open window with a dopey grin on his face and his tongue out. Charon was facing his window with the dog and had been the entire drive, not once looking at him.

Jericho couldn't blame him.

"So… where the fuck are we goin'?" he asked eventually. Tiring of watching the desert roll by.

Turning around to look at him with that steely gaze and disgusted look he had held since Jericho got here, "Where we have always been going – to find my father," he said as if it were obvious. Which it, in a way, was.

Jericho couldn't blame him either.

Giving up with asking about that, Jericho sighed and returned his attention to his window. No one wanted him here. ' _When I said we should help Jericho, I didn't mean we bring him along,'_ Charon had whispered to Elias. But Jericho heard him. _'So, what's your deal with this Jericho guy? What happened that I don't know about?'_ Scar had asked Elias when they thought Jericho had dozed off. _'Look at it this way; have you ever wished you could just 'un-meet' someone?'_ Jericho heard that too. Even Dogmeat had shifted away from him when he first got in, resting right up against Charon's leg.

 _Maybe this was a bad idea_

The car beeped and a light flashed. Voicing what everyone but the driver was thinking, "Scar… what was that?" Elias asked.

Scar cursed, stopped the car and looked out his window. "We're almost out of gas, and we used our only spare container to throw at that Behemoth back there." He turned to look into the back seat. "Do either of you know someplace we could find more around here?" There weren't many cars around on the road they were on, and the ones that did remain were merely rusted frames.

"Assuming it wasn't scrounged up already," Elias commented.

Looking at him, "You'd be surprised by how much you can find," Scar said. "Most people stopped using gas around the time of the bombs and opted for nuclear powered cars instead. And now, hardly anyone has vehicles because they don't know how to build, maintain and use them. There's a lot left over."

"How do _you_ know?" Charon asked.

"What? That people used nuclear cars? You find nuclear engines in cars all over, it's why they explode so easily-"

"No," Charon cut in. "How do you know how to drive a car?" His eyes narrowed in suspicion as his gaze pierced into the young man in the driver seat.

Scar turned around and returned his eyes to the road, noticeably gripping the steering wheel tighter. "Well, uh, you learn a thing or two in the business I used to be involved in."

"What business?" Both Elias and Charon asked in unison.

It was probably some sketchy shit that the man wanted to leave behind in his past, Jericho could understand that and didn't want these two to be pestering him about it, pressuring him into spitting it out. Besides, Jericho still owed the kid one for getting him out of that cage back at Evergreen. "There's a garage nearby. Best place to start lookin' for gas," Jericho butted in, sitting forward in his seat.

Seemingly thankful for the interruption, Scar looked at him and nodded. "Whereabouts?"

"Just down this road actually."

Scar nodded again and took his foot off the breaks, slammed the car into gear and they zoomed off, nearing a pre-war military checkpoint not long after. Fallen sandbag blockades, remains of an army RV and what looked like a collapsed tent with its tarpaulin covering a hundred yards away caught up in shrivelled trees, must've blown off during a storm. But what everyone inside the car was focused on, were the suits of power armour.

"Are those Brotherhood soldiers?" Elias asked.

Jericho shook his head. "Nah, they call themselves 'Outcasts'. Broke off from the Brotherhood of Steel a while back and treat everyone else like savages."

"Why'd they break off?"

"The fuck should I know? Do I look like a Brotherhood asshole to you?"

"No, just an asshole."

Jericho had to resist the urge to reach out and grab him by the throat to wipe the smugness off his face. "Funny," he said, smiling back sarcastically.

Driver Scar veered the car around the precinct before crossing back onto the road, they drove a few hundred meters more and made it to the garage he was talking about. 'Smith Casey's' read the sign. Dumps of useless trash piled up beside it.

The five of them clambered out of the vehicle but Scar was the first to run over to the garage roller door, kneeling down at the handle but he soon cursed and stood up. He looked over at Elias who was at the actual door a few meters away and seemed to have the same problem.

"Any luck?" Scar called over to him.

"Place is locked up tight," Elias said.

"Did you try picking it?" Jericho asked. He was quite the expert in that category.

"No, I thought I'd wait till the iron oxide corroded it away." When he was only met with a confused look, he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, obviously but I'm not that good… I usually let Amata handle these type of things…" The last part he mumbled to himself under his breath to himself as he walked over to Scar's position to take a look.

"Outta my way, let a master lockpicker do his thing." Jericho shoved Elias away from the padlock and crouched down. He took out his pack of bobby pins and his shiv. "These pins are always essential," he said, holding them up. "If you want to be a lockpicker you'll have to make sure you have plenty of 'em tucked away in your pockets." He then proceeded to slip a pin into the key hole. "Take your time and keep a light touch on the pins-"

"This is a waste of time, I'm going to find another way in," Scar said before walking off and disappearing around the corner of the building.

Slightly offended, Jericho scowled at him as he left. He was going to give up with the impromptu lockpicking lesson when he noticed Elias sitting on his knees beside him, staring at him intently. "Well? What's next?"

Feeling a little contented with himself that someone was actually _caring_ about one of his interests, Jericho returned to his instruction. "When the tumblers begin to fall into place, you should feel the pick tremble slightly – it means you're near the sweet spot." The pin in between his finger tips did shudder ever so slightly and he shifted it a millimetre over. "Slow down at this point and only move the pin with the finest touch." He looked over and noticed Elias staring down at the demonstration, his attention rapt on it. Jericho smiled.

"There's always the option of smashing it," Charon said, standing behind the two.

Jericho looked up at the Big Guy. "True, but that hardly ever works and makes too much noise," he replied before turning back to the pin in his hands. He used the shiv to turn the lock slowly, hearing the lock click and seeing it open and fall to the ground, he stood up next to Charon and a wider grin stretched across his face.

"I've got to admit, that's impressive Jerry," Elias stated as he also stood up.

Before the ex-raider could reply, the garage roller door was lifted open to reveal the driver already inside the building. He pushed it the rest of the way up to slide along the ceiling of the carport. Behind him was another vehicle covered by a tarp mat that he skidded over to and swept back. "We can hide my car here."

"I'm sure it won't take long for us to poke around in there, why do we need to hide it?" Elias asked as he made his way over.

"We should take a break, we haven't slept in a day and this is the only shelter we've seen for miles," Charon said.

Elias nodded. "Point taken."

"Alright, we'll push this one behind the garage and I'll drive mine in to take its place." Scar opened the door of the other car by reaching through the smashed window, unlocking it.

As Scar pulled the handbrake, Jericho and Charon moved to the back of the car they were about to jostle, braced themselves against it, getting ready to push. "Okay, go," Scar said from the front, standing outside it but with his hands on the wheel to steer. They did, shoving against it but it seemed to have rusted at the axles, the car creaked and seemed jammed in place. Refusing to move more than a few inches.

The ex-raider looked over at Elias who picked up a rope with a knot, unravelled at the end, off a shelf, he turned around to face them with one of those shit eating grins he always got before making a shitty joke. He opened his mouth to say something but Jericho groaned. "Please don't."

"You thought I was going to make a funny joke." He held the rope up. "I'm a frayed knot."

Everyone snorted a disgusted noise as Elias burst into laughter.

Once he'd composed himself, he pouted. "At least _someone_ laughs at my jokes."

Letting go of the wheel, Scar looked at him. "No one laughed."

Elias jabbed a thumb at him chest. "It's me. I laughed!"

Rolling his eyes. "Help us push this," Jericho said to Elias who was watching.

"I think I'll pass, my tetanus shots are way out of date."

"Stop being prissy and get over here."

Elias sighed and moved to join them. With much effort they managed to roll the rusted hunk of junk out of the way and Scar parked his car in its place. As the black Ford Falcon drove by him, he noticed the Talon Company insignia painted on the side. His eyes widened and he mouthed the words: 'What the fuck?'

 _Scar is a Talon?_

Scar then grabbed the garage door again and pulled it shut. Jericho eyed him in suspicion as he walked over to a shelf, took hold of a gas container and weighed it. It was a shame, he was starting to like him, and he didn't like many people, but now he had to be wary of him if he was Talon Company. _But why haven't the other two noticed yet?_

He took a whiff of it to check that it was the correct fuel. "This is enough to keep us going, but not for long," Scar said as he walked over to his car petrol tap and poured the contents of the container in.

But the other two were looking at something towards the posterior wall and not paying any attention. Jericho approached and caught the rest of their exchange,

"This looks like it goes somewhere, look for a switch or something to open it," Charon said, his fists on his hips as he looked around.

Elias jumped over something and stood beside the wall. "Like this?" He pulled something down on the wall and in front of him opened a hatch, revealing a hidden staircase beneath.

"We have got to check this out," Elias said to everyone with a brief glance their way and raced down.

They followed him down, running. Well, Charon and Scar did, Jericho just walked, Dogmeat the closest at his heel, slowing down slightly when they were met with another staircase to descend before chasing him through a bulkhead door.

When Jericho finally caught up, Elias was standing ahead of everyone, gaping up at a large steel cog in their path. '112' slashed through the middle in yellow. A vault blast door.

"This is it! Vault 112. My father has got to be inside."

"What a fluke. We stumbled on this accidentally." Scar scratched the back of his head where the bandanna he had over his head ended.

"Wait, wait. Hold up for a second. You mean to tell me your father left your vault and went to another one? Geez, k – Hawke, what the fuck did you do to him?" Jericho laughed.

"I didn't-" he stopped himself and seemed to think. "At least, I don't recall doing anything that would…" He shook his head. "Whatever. I think I can get this door open." He did some shit with the control panel that Jericho didn't understand; plugging his wrist computer in, touching buttons flicking a switch or two, and finally, pressing the red button.

A siren wailed and flashed every few seconds, there was a jarring screech and Jericho realised the cog was being yanked back sending sparks flying. When it was at last pulled out of the wall, it rolled to the side to allow them passage.

The five entered with caution, ready for whatever this vault had to offer. The first room they entered was pretty clean compared to the dust ridden garage they were in a moment before. Jericho, gawking around at everything, expected a bunch of vault dwellers inside like 101 but instead the group ran into a robobrain machine. Thinking it was one of those frenzied ones that attack anyone and anything, Jericho unshouldered his assault rifle, the one Reilly gave him. Though it didn't, it rolled up to them and said in its robotic voice, "Welcome to Vault 112. According to vault records and sensors, you are 202.3 years behind schedule. Please take a vault suit and procced to your tranquillity lounger." A conveyer belt beside them moved along four vault jumpsuits.

Elias grabbed the closest one and looked up in confusion. "Uh… what?"

Everyone else followed suit, picking up one of their own.

"I've always wanted one of these," Scar said, eyes on the back of the folded item of clothing where the 112 was printed.

"I don't think this is going to fit…" Charon held his up, gripping it by the shoulders.

Jericho laughed. "Fuck that, I ain't gunna look like a pampered pansy." The unamused look Elias sent him made him laugh more. "You're pampered, don't deny it."

"You can't call me pampered, no one has peeled a grape for me in weeks!" He grinned at them. He was smiling and being a lot more sarcastic than Jericho expected, had he gotten over the _incident_ so quickly? "C'mon, let's go see what this thing means by 'Tranquillity Lounger'."

They stepped out onto the second floor of what the ex-raider assumed to be the atrium like he'd overheard Elias describe to Lucy. The interior was opposite to the exterior – the wasteland; it looked brand new, completely retrofitted with sleek light blue panelling, strip lighting and arrays of computer monitors, the smell of ozone and burned plastic thick in the air. Down on the first floor of the atrium, that they could see over a fence of white railing, were pod-like vessels with ergonomic padded recliner chairs inside that he noticed through the glass domes, they encircled a large tower of wires and other electronics stuck in the centre fixed from the floor to the ceiling.

"Does your vault look this?" Scar asked as Elias stepped closer to the railing, resting his hands on it as he took it all in.

"No, I… I've never seen anything like it."

"That goes for all of us," Jericho added.

"Think your dad might be in one of those… pod things?" Scar then asked.

Elias tapped his hand on the railing one last time. "Only one way to find out." He then used that same hand to flip himself over the railing and land on the first floor.

The Big Guy and Scar jumped over after him only to be landed on by Dogmeat who bounded up and pounced onto the duo's shoulders. Jericho wasn't sure he would make it down safely, it was quite a drop and he wasn't as young as he used to be. He went off to find the stairs.

As Hawke checked through the glass of each pod, Scar went over to the main terminal on the tower in the middle. Charon lingering in between looking with a disgusted expression through the glass of a nearby lounger.

"Virtual reality," Elias commented as he walked, admiring the advanced technology and immersing himself in it. "It's amazing how these people have been preserved for so long, there must be some form of cryogenic system installed - that's… That's him!" he said, slightly breathless, jabbing a finger at one of the pod's before pressing his face up to it again, "that's my dad. I can't believe it." He looked so relieved, Jericho was sure he'd tear up at any second.

The two others approached, Scar staying back chicken-pecking at the terminal, intent on getting a look at the reason they were following a crazy teenage kid across the wasteland. The resemblance was astounding. Elias practically mirrored his father who looked like an older version of him. Brown hair flecked with grey, a neatly trimmed beard to match.

"Jesus, you look just like him." Jericho stepped back.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." Elias turned back to the pod. "We've got to find a way to get him outta there." He felt around the top, looking for any buttons or manual releases most likely, but they were all on the inside. He then knelt down at his father's lounger and removed a panel at the skirting, pulling out the wires.

Scar looked over and frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Well neither are the other ideas I have so this will have to do."

"No, I've already checked the mainframe, it says only the Overseer can directly release one of these people from these things. It would take a lot of hacking for anyone else and a lot of time. If you force them from it, they can end up in a vegetable-like status."

Elias stood up. "Where's the Overseer?"

"In one of these I'd assume." He nodded to the nearest lounger.

Sighing, "I'm gunna have to go in there, aren't I?" he questioned but Jericho was sure he already knew the answer.

"I think so."

"Are there any vacant ones?"

"One, over there." Scar pushed something on the keyboard and one of the pod's opened, its seat empty.

"Alright. I'll be out as soon as I can. Don't kill each other while I'm gone."

Jericho chuckled. "No promises," he said as Elias slipped by him and moved past a few other loungers till he made it to the recliner, climbed up and slowly lowered himself into it.

"If anyone is going to be killed, it'd likely be you," Charon said, blank stare that scared the shit out of the ex-raider. It was a horrible move pissing him off.

"Is that... sarcasm, Charon?" It was probably his and Elias' influence.

The ghoul's eyes bored into him. "Thinly veiled contempt," the Big Guy corrected.

Jericho gulped.

Elias lay back, his hands up on the recliner's armrests, clenching and unclenching them.

"You ready?" Scar asked from his position over by the mainframe.

Hawke nodded. "Let's do this."

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

Elias still wasn't sure it was a good idea to do this. But he'd come this far and he was so close, he wasn't giving up now.

The tranquillity lounger was comfortable but he didn't relax – _couldn't_ relax. The anticipation and ignorance of what was to come overwhelmed him. He had no idea what was about to happen but was excited by the idea that he'd see and finally talk to his father.

The shell of the pod closed in over the top of him and he looked around, it dominated his vision with wraparound blackness and smothered the hearing in both his ears, disembodying him.

A second passed, and then a flood rushed in, a torrent of light and sound and sensation, reminding him of the first time he'd left the Vault – walking into the sun from a nearly lightless place, but Elias couldn't shield his eyes this time. He simply had to endure it until his vision settled, his nerves quietened, and his surrounding came into focus.

He gasped and blinked, feeling dizzy and nauseated.

He sat at a bench in a world devoid of colour. His perception only black and white. Elias wiped his eyes with fisted hands before realising how small those hands were, like a child's. With no trace of the callousness formed on Elias' real hands. He looked down and saw that he was not himself.

Wearing a striped short sleeved shirt, a pair of jeans with white sneakers. The spare vault 101 suit he wore gone. In place of his Pip-boy, a small watch.

Elias looked up and around as his view came into focus. He was in some sort of pre-war simulation of a typical picket white fence neighbourhood road with a small playground in the centre, houses surrounding it in a circle. At first, he thought the road was at a dead end caldisack but he realised it was just a roundabout on its own, there were no other roads connecting to it. And there were people. People living how he imagined they did before the bombs. Going about their daily lives without a care in the world. Without having to worry about survival. Living similar to how he did in Vault 101.

 _The fuck? What is this? And why am I a child?_

Elias stood up and took a step forward onto the footpath running circumjacent to the street, and then another. It felt odd and unnatural. This kid's body he was using was _much_ shorter than he was, with a different balance, different proportions in his arms and legs.

Hobbling a bit, he made his way over to a man in sweatbands around his head and wrists coming towards him at a steady jog.

"Uh, excuse me sir but do you know where I am and what's going on?" His was voice higher than Elias' usual and sounded like an innocent young boy's.

"Oh, hey there, sport." The man smiled, wiping his brow with the back of his hand though Elias didn't notice any sweat there, before and after. "I'm just going for a quick run around the block."

"What? You're running in a circle," he replied, incredulous. "This road is a 360° circle. Are you blind?" Well, it seemed he was too. Colour-blind.

"What are you talking about, sport?" he asked with obvious unconcern. "Anyway, Betty is over by the playground, you should go over and play with her." He then continued on and jogged past him.

"What? Who is Betty?" But he was already gone, ignoring him.

 _This is so strange_

He used the gate to the house he was out front of and approached the window. The reflexion staring back at him wasn't even him as a child.

Turning around, Elias looked out to the playground. Consisting of a swing set, slide and seesaw, there was a little girl and a dog the same breed as Dogmeat playing around. Thinking maybe this 'Betty' knew what was going on, he walked over.

"Oh look, someone new to play with. What good luck I've had lately. Do you wanna play a game? I love games. We are going to have _so_ much fun!" the little girl Elias assumed was Betty said. Her innocent voice and creepy stare unnerved him.

"I don't have time for games. I'm looking for my father. Seen him?"

"Gee, I don't know. What's he like?"

"Uh well, he's a scientist in his late forties and he was looking for a 'Doctor Braun'…" Elias gave up. "Look, I know he came here, I saw him in the vault in one of the lounger's."

Betty's eyebrows lifted in an expression of mild interest. "You mean the man that came here is your daddy?" She didn't wait for a response, "You're here because you're looking for him? Oh, this will make it even _more_ fun! We are to have such a great time!"

"What do you mean? Where is he?"

The dog sitting a few feet away barked at him.

"Quiet!" Betty admonished the dog in a much harsher tone and sent him backing away whimpering. "Only one question at a time. If you want me to answer them you'll have to play my game."

"Fine. What is it? Baseball? Tag? Hide and Seek?"

"Not quite. I want you to make Timmy Neusbaum cry."

"What kind of fucked up game is this?"

"Don't cooperate and I guess you'll never see your daddy ever again."

Elias stared at the little girl in a glare. He hated being manipulated. And by a child too? He stared for a long while before sighing. "Where is he?"

Betty nodded over to a young boy tending a lemonade stand on the side of the street.

 _This is just a simulation. It's not real,_ he thought to himself as he approached the kid.

"Hi there!" the young boy greeted. Elias would hate himself for what he was about to do.

He grabbed one of the glasses of soft drink on the counter and took a whiff. "Ugh, this smells like piss!" He wrinkled his noise in distaste and poured the contents onto the street.

"What? What are you talking about?" Timmy asked him, confused.

"You can't sell piss masquerading as lemonade, you're misrepresenting your product. I'm going to have to remove this stall." He swept his forearm across the counter, tipping glasses and the pitcher, sending them onto the footpath. He then lifted the stall and flipped it, leaving Timmy a crying mess as he walked back to Betty.

* * *

After inquiring again about his father and only receiving a vague answer, confirmed Elias wasn't going to get anywhere asking about that. And it only made him more frustrated. It was like a prank Butch played on the Vault's cat, tying something the feline wanted to the end of some string and when the cat would pounce he'd yank it back again at the last moment. So close yet so far.

"What's next? Steal someone's clothes off their back? Throw someone off a roof?"

"No… but those are good suggestions, I might think about them. Mr and Mrs Rockwell are happily married. I want you to change that."

Elias shook his head slowly. "I don't think I can do that."

"Well then, you won't get any more questions answered. Come back when you change your mind." It grated on Elias' nerves how sure of herself she was about it.

"I'm only doing this because I want more answers from you and I guess most marriages end in divorce anyway…"

"Rationalize it any way you like. If you succeed we'll continue our discussion."

* * *

 **Charon's POV:**

Since Elias had zoned into whatever simulation his 'lounger' was playing for him, the ghoul and the others had made themselves comfortable, or as comfortable as possible on cold concrete. Sitting around for what felt like hours.

Finally, Charon spotted Scar stand up and make his way over to Jericho. "Whatever it is, make it quick. I'm in no mood for your shit," Jericho said to the young man. The comment surprised the ghoul, he thought they would get along swimmingly seeing as they seemed to share shady pasts.

"I was just going to say we're going to need to eat sooner or later. I'm going up for some food, you coming?" The mercenary looked between Charon and Jericho, awaiting a response from both.

The ex-raider looked up from his slouched-against-the-wall position. "Can't you go yourself? Or bring the Big Guy with ya'?"

Sighing, "You don't come, you don't get any," Scar replied.

Charon stood up, slinging his combat shotgun over his shoulder, he grunted in agreement.

With a roll of his eyes, "Fine," Jericho said, "if you really need someone to stand around and not contribute, I'll be right behind you."

After telling Dogmeat to stay put and watch over Elias as he dreamt, hallucinated or whatever it was he was doing in there and promising to bring him back something, Charon followed the two others back the way they came in, heading out of the vault and back into the garage. As the ghoul looked out the small window on the garage wall that he assumed Scar used to get inside here first, he realised it was dark out.

"Christ, how long were we down there?" Scar remarked, noticing the darkness as well.

They had left Evergreen early morning and spent the day travelling here, arriving late afternoon. Now it was night. And night gave Charon little relief.

Yanking open a car door, Scar retrieved their combined gear. "Damnit, were out of food," he said as he rifled through Elias' backpack.

Jericho stepped up to him, Charon noticed he'd been staring at the Talon insignia on the side of the car. "Hey kid, pass me the whiskey. I hid a few bottles in Hawke's bag. Hopefully it's still there."

"Y'know, just because Eli's got you to stop calling him that doesn't mean you can pin it to me. And I'm twenty-six, anyway." Scar pulled out a bottle of whiskey and handed it to him. The merc certainly didn't look twenty-six. He had a few years on Elias, that was for sure, but not seven.

Shrugging to show he didn't care, Jericho took a gulp. "So? Anyone younger than me is still a kid."

"Well, that's probably the entire wasteland's population." Scar tossed the pack back into the vehicle and shut the door.

"Being old isn't so bad. I've got experience and wisdom." The mercenary snorted at that. Jericho looked over at the ghoul lingering silently in the shadows. "Hey, Big Guy, how old are you?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Sixty? Older?"

Charon averted his stare, looking to the ground. "Two hundred and thirty-seven," he said in a mutter.

Both Scar and Jericho exchanged a glance and looked at him wide eyed. "You were alive when the bombs dropped?"

It wasn't a time he looked back on fondly.

Continuing to press, the two asked in unison, "What was it like?"

Charon didn't make eye contact. "Shit."

* * *

Deciding to go out and hunt, the three companions left the garage and set out on foot. Driving would scare off or run over any prey and attract predators. They approached the military checkpoint they had passed by earlier. The outcast armour still there. Some suits standing and others sprawled out in the dirt.

"Think we might be able to get into one of those power armour suits over there?" Jericho asked.

"No, they lock them somehow to prevent people from stealing it. And even if we did, what are we going to do with it?" Scar replied.

Taking a shot of his liquor, the ex-raider shrugged. "I was just asking."

They walked on for a few minutes of tense silence, Scar looked over at Jericho. "So… Elias said you got someone named 'Lucy' killed betraying him to a bartender." That... probably wasn't the best choice of conversation starter to break the ice.

The older man chuckled, folded his arms across his chest. "He's much more than a bartender. He owns the bar _and_ Megaton. Colin Moriarty, heard of him?"

Interested, Charon listened in.

"Wait, _that_ bartender? The one that runs the largest drug trade in the Capital?"

"Yep," he replied casually.

Scar put a hand to his head. "Were in deep shit now."

"He managed to fuck over two raider bosses and I'm pretty sure he's angered a few people with ties to Talon Company in less than a month alone." Scar noticed he was looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"What?"

"You're a Talon, aren't ya'? Are you here to spy on the kid or some shit?" He'd stood straighter, his arms were unfolded, bracing a handgun down at his leg.

"No… what are you talking about?" Scar also put a hand on his weapon in case things got ugly.

"Really? Then why does the car have a Talon insignia on it? Why are you wearing black combat armour and why are you here?" Jericho raised his pistol, a Glock 22, Charon noticed.

Raising his hands in surrender, away from his weapons. "Oh, right. You don't know."

"Know what?"

"I guess I'll tell ya' the whole story, seeing as you're about to blow my brains out. Talon Company have five of the Falcon's like mine, or four now since I took one, two military RV's and one army convoy. It's how they get around so fast. I did some scouting around of their little fort. I then tracked a group with a Falcon down when they left the place, I was going to just steal it but I overheard them talking about how they were after the contract on Eli's head. I was curious, ya know? Wanted to meet him. So I killed one of them, the driver, and took his place," Scar recounted. "They ambushed him and Charon, but the two fought 'em off… or Charon did anyway, then I joined them."

Jericho just looked confused.

"I'm _not_ a Talon."

"Then who or what are you?" Jericho demanded. Noticing Scar wasn't paying attention to him anymore, Jericho glanced over to where he was looking.

"Shut up! You two just attracted a Yao-guai family!" Charon hissed at them.

Two of the mutated American black bears and their cub stood atop a rocky outcrop a few meters away, when Charon's companions noticed them in the moonlight the beasts roared out in warning.

"Oh fuck!" Jericho cursed and fired twice from his Glock, cursed again when it only enraged them, pulled out his assault rifle but before it was in his hands out front of him, one of the bears pounced, pinning him to the ground and he landed on his gun. "Get this fucker off me!"

Charon fired three shells from _Terrible_ into the thick hide of the beast's back _,_ the bear howled and jumped off the ex-raider, adverting its attention to the ghoul. Standing up on his hind legs, it whacked the shotgun from Charon's grasp and slashed him across the arm with his other paw.

Gunfire crackled around the ghoul as the other two fought off the other two bears.

Dodging another swipe of the bear, the ghoul risked looking away from his opponent to search for his shotgun, spotted it and made eye contact with the Yao-guai again. He stared into the zombie bear's white demon eyes before roundhouse kicking it in the nose and made a dash for _Terrible_.

The bear got to him first, springing onto him like a cat to a roof. Charon pushed its head away from chomping at him from beneath the jaw and punched the thing in the nose multiple times. When the Yao-guai roared its pain, the ghoul wedged his hand into its throat and used his teeth to pinch off the bear's jugular vein.

Passing out from lack of blood flow, the beast fell slack and Charon pushed it off. Once he was standing he booted the body continuously, looking up only when the gunfire around him finally came to a stop.

"I can't believe we are still alive after all this stupid shit we do." Jericho let out a deep breath in relief, wiped his forehead and turned to the ghoul. "Did you kill that bare handed?"

Spitting out the bear's blood, Charon rolled his shoulder and said nothing.

"Well, these bears' meat will be as good as anything to eat, right?" Scar asked, pulling out a knife and gutting into the second largest one.

"Yao-guai steaks aren't too shitty, let's just lug one back quickly. I don't want to run across another family out here, especially in the middle of the night." Charon noticed Jericho wince after saying that and realised he'd been slashed across his middle, blood seeping through the shreds in his leather of his tunic.

They wouldn't be able to eat or carry the entire Yao-guai family so Charon, after retrieving his shotgun, hefted the cub up onto his shoulder and they headed back to the garage.

* * *

"Those fuckers that destroyed Evergreen are inside, I know it!" A man in typical raider apparel stood up from his crouch position and kicked the garage door. "Get this damn thing open!"

The woman beside him punched him in the gut. "Shut the hell up, would you? Do you want them to hear you!"

"Yes, I fucking do. Hey you assholes in there! Open up and we'll end you quickly," the first raider demanded as he banged on the garage door with his fists.

Charon, Scar and Jericho who were hiding nearby behind a boulder watched.

"Think they'll go away?" Scar whispered.

Jericho stood up, aiming his assault rifle. "I'm not waiting around to find out." He stepped out into the open. "You want us to open up? Well, here you go then." He squeezed off two volleys from his Chinese assault rifle.

As soon as the raiders noticed him, they bolted, their legs pumping, heading off in the opposite direction. Their run was cut short when the rounds hit them in the backs, slamming them to the ground. One lay silent and motionless, the other groaned softly, twitching.

His face tight with anger at Jericho's decision to blatantly attack without questioning them, Charon got up from behind the boulder too, dumped the bear cub's corpse and followed the ex-raider to the front of the garage where the two bodies lay.

Jericho kicked the closest one onto his back. "How the hell did they track us all the way out here?"

"Tire tracks. They're pretty obvious when almost no one has a car anymore. It's how I pursued the Talon squad," the mercenary commented, coming up behind them.

Jericho still looked unconvinced but whatever he was about to say was cut off by blast of machine gun fire raining down on them from the direction the two dead raiders were running to.

"There's more of them!"

They fired right back.

The door to Smith Casey's opened and a raider appeared. _Shit, they're inside._ Jericho shoved him back in and pinned him to the wall. The others rushed in after, weapons up and ready. Being last, Scar bolted the door shut, locked it.

The raider looked around at the three of them anxiously before he was shot dead by Scar.

"Ah fuck, you got his blood all over me!" Jericho complained, dropping the body and wiping blood off his cheeks with his fingers.

"I'm not sorry." The mercenary proceeded out of the reception and into the workshop of the garage where the car was parked. "No one else is here."

"Did they find the hatch?" Charon asked quickly. If Elias was in danger…

"Doesn't look like it, no."

"We need to get down there and warn Elias."

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

Elias was sick of it.

Elias was sick of satisfying Betty's strange morbid sense of entertainment. Sick of doing things against his nature and against the way he was raised.

Killing some random innocent woman for no reason was his next task. A task he would not complete unless given no other choice.

He flipped the rolling pin in his hand. He'd taken it from someone's house, he didn't know whose. It was one of the only objects he'd found in this virtual reality. Under any ordinary circumstance, Elias would never hit a child but this was no ordinary circumstance nor was that she-devil on the playground any ordinary child. She wasn't a child at all. And she was out of her mind.

 _Too powerful,_ he had thought, _she's too powerful to be a normal kid. She has too much knowledge of this place and what's going on when no one else does._

When Betty had her back turned as she watered a flower with a watering can, Elias struck. He dashed up the hill as discretely as he could and slammed the pin down on Betty's shoulder with all his might. He didn't really know what he was expecting. He certainly wasn't, however, expecting a pulse shock wave to blast him back down the hill and into a fence. His rolling pin weapon flying over a house.

"Pathetic fool," a deep, accented voice boomed. "Don't you see? In this reality, I am a god! What is a mere boy to a god?"

Opening his eyes, his vision blurred slightly like his VATS when it was unfocused, Elias saw the dog on top of him with one paw on his chest. Looking down at him with such familiar eyes, filled with worry and concern… he knew those eyes. _It can't be…_

"D-dad?"

The hound barked and licked his face.

"Such a disappointment," the strange deep, foreign accented voice that Elias didn't recognise said. Betty stepped up to him, shaking her head. "I had such high hopes for you."

Elias stared up at her. Her innocent little girl voice was gone and she was the one with the deep male's. He wondered if it was some king of glitch in the computer's operating system. "Well, they said I could be whatever I want so I became a disappointment." Why did he always joke when it was clearly the wrong time for jokes. "You're Dr Braun, aren't you? The Overseer and designer of this vault, that's how you know so much. But I've got to ask, why would you choose to look like a little girl?"

Betty seemed partly surprised and partly impressed. "Why? Because I can be whatever I want to be! Are we on the same page?" Betty said in the deep, thickly accented voice again, levelling her or _his_ palm to Elias' face. A strange electrical looking hue formed in her palm, crackling like electricity.

"Page? We're not even in the same fucking library!" The hand got closer and the crackling intensified. _Shit, what is she going to do to me?_ "Wait! Wait, that won't be necessary. I'll do it, alright? I'll kill that lady for you!"

Betty stopped whatever she was about to do and stared down at him for a second before smiling and drawing her hand back. "Good." The little girl then skipped back up the hill and continued tending to the flowers.

Sitting up, he realised how painful the action was. Every muscle in his body ached and protested as he tried to stand. The dog watched him with pity.

 _This is bullshit._

Elias knelt down beside the dog and rubbed the dog's head. "I'm going to get us out of here, okay Dad? If that's really you…"

* * *

Loosening bolts on Mrs Henderson's hallway chandelier and rigging it to drop on the unfortunate woman when she wandered beneath, Elias finally killed her and felt sick to his stomach.

"You enjoy this, don't you?" Betty asked him, a sly grin on her face. She seemed to somehow get creepier and creepier. "I can see it in your eyes. You find it secretly thrilling."

"Never."

"Denial, then? Okay, let's move on to your final task. You are to don the Pint-Sized Slasher mask and knife and kill everyone in Tranquillity Lane." As soon as the words left Betty's mouth Elias was horrified. _No, I can't. I can't do that._ Elias said nothing, hoping the fear he felt inside didn't show outside. "And I'll set you and your dad free."

"Why are you doing this?"

Seemingly surprised by the question, Betty answered in her man voice, "Because I can, of course. I have complete power here and I can use it in whatever way I wish. Right now, to see others suffer. Over the years, I've found that it's brought me great amusement."

"You're bat shit crazy! I'm done with your psychotic games." Elias ran off, not certain of where he was going and anticipating another blast to slam into his back, but when he looked behind him he saw Betty grinning up on the hill. She shook her head and returned her attention to the garden again.

 _Why doesn't she care –_

Something _did_ slam into him. Or someone. An old-lady with panicked eyes.

"We're not really here. We're not really talking. It's all made-up, all make-believe. We're sleeping, dreaming. But the dream turned to a nightmare. It has to end, it just has to! But we're not in charge. He is, and he doesn't want us to wake up. This is not real. This is not real. This is -"

"Not real? Finally someone who isn't delusional."

"You believe me?" When Elias nodded, she continued, "The abandoned house! Go to the abandoned house! Find the failsafe and activate it!"

"Abandoned house?" Elias looked across the street at the place. Yes, he'd passed that numerous times. He headed over. Betty noticed him and Elias saw the shock and fear on her face.

He went in through the door and looked round, finding himself in the lounge. The house had an eerie atmosphere and creeped him out almost as much as Betty. There was a couch, coffee table and TV. A soda bottle was on the table and a gnome on the TV. On the end of the living room flickered the failsafe terminal. But as soon as he took a step toward it, wires shot out from the walls, floor and ceiling, hooking around his arms and legs, pulling.

 _No!_

Elias twisted and squirmed, yelling out. He yanked the wires back from his right arm and set the arm free, using it to grab the coffee table and pull himself forward. He felt the wires around his left arm strain and he reached for the glass bottle and used it to whack at the wires on his other arm, finally breaking free.

Next, he smashed at the wires around his legs, about to run to the failsafe terminal just a few steps away but wires from the ceiling struck out and grabbed him by one of his legs again, pulling him up and suspending him by his ankle. Elias used the bottle to smack these wires too until they dropped him and he landed hard on the floor with a pained grunt, the bottle dropping and smashing beside him.

"Jesus!"

Getting to his feet, more wires lashed at him but he dodged and jumped to the failsafe. He began typing, going as fast as he could but wires latched onto his limbs again, dragging him back. Elias resisted, slowly stomping back and pulling his arms to the terminal again as the wires attempted to restrain him.

He went down the options on the screen; _nope, nope, nope, yes!_

Just as he was to activate the failsafe, a pulse shockwave slammed into him from behind, banging Elias into the terminal.

"You thought it would be _that_ easy!" a mix of the deep foreign voice and the simulated little girl's screamed somewhere behind, where the shockwave spurred from.

The hound, Elias' father, bounded into the house and sunk his teeth into Betty's leg.

"It is." And Elias slammed his fist down, activating the failsafe.

The house exploded. The simulation blew apart in a flash of light and melted away, pixels dissipating until there was nothing but an endless grey void with just him, Betty and the dog, shot through with crackles of lightning. Clouds of mist billowed and heaved around them, occasionally coalescing into geometric angles that hinted at something tangible; the edge of a house, the reach of a tree branch.

"Nooooooooooooo! Do you realise what you've done?! You've ruined EVERYTHING! The subjects will die and I'll be stuck here in this hell! Alone!" Betty yelled, Elias saw her image flicker.

"Wait, why will they die?"

"'Why will they die?' Are you mad? Their bodies are over two hundred years old, in no condition to be used for anything! Besides, their minds believe this is reality and would not accept the actual reality."

"What about my father? He'll come back, right?

"Yes. He'll be fine. When you leave the simulation, he will be waiting for you," Betty, or Braun said in her or his accent. "But there's no one waiting for me…"

After asking about the G.E.C.K he'd heard his father talk about in his recordings, Tranquillity Lane and the Dr's other work, Elias left the simulation. The void fragmented around him and an arc of pain shot through Elias' head, he resisted the urge to cry out, clenching his eyes shut till it stopped. When he opened them again, he was back in the lounger.

Elias pressed the button and the glass shell lifted above him, he jumped out and looked to where his father's lounger was situated.

There in the old vault suit he always wore, with the red scarf around his neck, he stood…

Elias' eyes welled with tears…

"Dad!"

* * *

 **A/N: How many of you actually tried to attack Betty in fallout 3 and ended up being insta-killed? I can't be the only one.**

 **Anyway, Next chapter will be out soon.**

 **If this story has captivated you enough to impel you to read the entirety of it, be sure to leave a like or, at the very least, a review. :)**


	12. Chapter 12: The Lost Father

**Shoutouts: Desert Dancer, Mandalore the Freedom, Alexeij, vickmackey007, Guest of Feb 1, ShadowWolf007 and Guest of Feb 4. Thank you guys so much for reviewing.**

 **I just want to say that we should celebrate this story reaching over 50 followers!**

 **And also, I would like to dedicate this chapter to the strongest person I know: Me. XD**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12: The Lost Father

 **James's POV:**

When he first caught sight of his son as a simulated child talking to Braun in Tranquillity Lane, asking about him, he could hardly believe it.

Even as the boy stood across the room in the flesh, he could hardly believe it.

All the gear he wore and the amount of wasteland dirt accumulated on his face on his face rendered him nearly unrecognisable but James knew those cerulean eyes and that lopsided grin anywhere.

"Dad!" his son called out and raced over, wrapping his arms around James's middle like he was about to tackle him to the ground, holding on tight as if never wanting to let go.

Surprised slightly at first, James smiled and hugged Elias back. He closed his eyes and blinked away tears, immersing himself in the moment of their reunion. "It's so good to see you again and I'm glad you're okay." The scientist drew back, holding his son with his arms on his shoulders. "But, well, what the hell are you doing here?" He noticed a dog lolloping behind. "And who's this?"

"Oh, this is Dogmeat." Of course, his son would name a dog that. "Dogmeat, Dad. Dad, Dogmeat." Elias looked back up. "You weren't very difficult to track, I just spoke with the people you met up with –"

"No, why? Why are you here? You were supposed to stay in the vault." James was elated and relieved, of course, but also… confused. Didn't his son receive the holotape left for him?

Elias looked away and his smile immediately faded, James noticed. "I would've been killed, dad. The Overseer murdered Jonas, I'm afraid I was next on his hitlist."

Eyes-wide, James stared down at the saddened face of his only child. "Jonas… dead?" He could hardly believe that either, but knew Elias would never lie about something so delicate and serious.

"I'm sorry, dad," Elias said in earnest.

James embraced the boy into his arms again, clenching his eyes shut. His fault. Jonas's death was his fault and he'd been oblivious to it the entire time. Jonas should never had been involved. The scientist didn't voice these thoughts, instead changed the subject. "I'm glad you got me outta there, feels nice to finally be able to walk on two legs again. And thanks to Braun, I know Project Purity isn't lost after all."

James watched a smile bloom on Elias' face that he returned. "What? You didn't like being a dog? I think Dogmeat's offended." Dogmeat recognised his name being said and barked merrily.

"Oh, sorry boy," James said to the hound, rubbing his head. "I guess it did have its perks but I think I prefer having two apposable thumbs." They both laughed and hugged again, this time it lasted no more than a few seconds.

Footsteps thudded from above, alerting them both to an approach. James was confused, who else could've possibly been here?

A young man with a bandanna over his head leaned over the railing of the second floor, above them, looking down. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news but we have a problematic situation on our hands."

* * *

After the man named 'Scar' informed them of raiders lurking nearby up around the garage, the three decided it was best to leave. As they tramped up the staircases to ground level, Elias said, "You could've at least told me you were leaving." Seemingly uninterested in the threat of marauders, James picked up.

"Son, I know you. You would've tried to come with me or follow after, I couldn't have that." He was meant to stay there, even if that meant he'd spend the rest of his life hating him and wondering why he'd left him all alone… his wellbeing was worth it.

"Well, I did it anyway."

That was true.

James chose not to say anything more.

They exited out the hatch and into the garage that James wasn't sure when he'd last seen, he wasn't even sure how long he'd been down there trapped in that simulation. It felt like months.

Eyes wandering around the room, James met the young gaze of the first man and then one of some much older guy that looked like he'd seen everything the Wastes had to offer and lived through it all every day of his life. Corrugated skin, a fighter's broken nose and an unkempt silver goatee. "So, I see you've been… collecting people…" James said nervously to his son as Elias continued in his stride, but he kept looking at the older man. The doctor estimated he was around his age but he still had a tough look about him… speaking of tough looks, a stoned-faced ghoul stepped out of shadows adorned in dirtied green camo combat armour. And with one glance at him, James knew that the beast of a man could hollow out the eye of any one of them with a crack of a finger. "… And a ghoul…"

Elias offered a small smile. "Yeah, I'm not sure why they follow me, half the time I have no idea where I'm going."

Standing a little straighter and swallowing the lump forming in his throat, James gave each of the three a deferential nod.

His son then turned back and looked each one of trio over, noticing the various slashing wounds they shared. "I told you guys _not_ to kill each other."

"No this wasn't our handy work, we were mauled by three bears," Scar said.

"Two and a half," the second man corrected.

"Three makes it sound less pathetic," the young man replied.

"So I guess you guys could say they were _too grizzly to bear?"_ Elias laughed.

James sighed but smiled all the same whilst everyone else let out an audible groan.

"Since you're all still _bearly_ alive, I guess you could dub your victory a _roaring success_? Yeah? C'mon that was a good one! Did any of you take one on with your _bear_ hands?"

"Actually, Charon did." Scar laughed as well.

Looking around at them all, "So how much else have I missed –" James began, only to be cut off by Scar unintentionally.

"Anyway, there isn't enough room in the car for everyone to fit…" Realising the scientist had said something before him, the young man sent an apologetic look to James for interrupting him. "Someone's gunna have to sit on the boot and hang on to the side bars."

James then finally noticed the obvious car in the centre that stuck out like a sore thumb and he felt a little stupid that he didn't see it before.

"Jericho," Elias immediately said, "the asshole can sit there as our hood ornament."

The second man with his nose listed slightly to the left seemed to react to the name _and_ the insult his son dealt so casually. "Will you stop being so snide? I already said I was sorry about what _happened!_ You need to get over yourself."

Eyes widening, James took a step back, unsure whether to intervene before this got out of hand. He then glanced over at the other two who exchanged worried looks. So this wasn't the first time?

"Sorry isn't going to cut it!" Elias fired back, not backing down. "Sorry isn't good enough. Sorry isn't going to bring her back."

James cautiously moved towards the two. "Woah, calm down. We can settle this like gentlemen. I can see that there is a long-standing rivalry between you two but there's no need–"

'Jericho' ignored him, jabbing his index finger at James' son. "And neither is blaming me for it!"

"It's your fault!" Elias accused. "Of course, I blame you!"

"Not entirely! You're the idiot with the great idea to piss off Moriarty! One of the richest bastards in the Wastes! You brought her into that mess. What I did was just a job, it wasn't anything personal!"

Elias was taken aback at the outburst and glared at Jericho in utter disgust and contempt. "Oh, so it's my fault?" Jericho didn't answer only returned the glare and crossed his arms. "Arg! You're definitely sitting on the hood. I hope you get sunburned." And with that he stormed over to the car, sat inside and slammed the door shut behind him.

Letting out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding, James looked at the door then at Jericho who scoffed and turned away.

Elias had always been hot-headed but James had never seen him so riled up. And never had he seen him argue with such maliciousness. He didn't know what to think.

"I guess I missed a lot then…" James muttered.

The ghoul grunted. "You have no idea."

* * *

After they all swept a carpet over the hatch in the floor and shoved a shelf in front of the switch to access it, James settled in the backseat beside his son, looking over him with concern, Dogmeat bounding after him to sit on Elias. Scar took the wheel, with the ghoul in passenger and Jericho actually did sit on the back. The doctor eyed his turned back through the behind window as he took hold of the bars on either side and gripped them firmly.

The car revved in place, back wheels spinning furiously with the only thing stopping them from kicking this thing into speed were the front. Finally, Scar took his foot off the breaks and they smashed through the garage door with ease and much rocking and jolting as it skidded out. James had to grip onto the side of the car and the seat in front of him to feel even remotely safe.

And if that wasn't bad enough, he could gear guns blasting outside and sure enough, when he peeked his head up to look out the window he saw the very thing he was afraid of - the raiders. Firing machine guns so aggressively and recklessly at the car, James wondered if Elias and his little crew had murdered their entire families.

His son lifted his head up to talk to the driver, "Floor it!" he screamed. As soon as he did, a few more bullets whistled through his window, Elias narrowly missed being shot in the head as he ducked back down. James' heart nearly stopped at the sight.

Slamming the car in to gear, they took off down the dirt trail in the direction of D.C.

Remembering Jericho on the back, he turned and looked out the back-windscreen. The man had his back pressed as much as possible against the pane and James could practically hear the man's heart running marathons even over all the gunfire and revving of the engine.

James had to wonder what the guy did for Elias to despise him so much.

Getting a good angle on them, Scar and the ghoul fired out their windows at the assemble of raiders barraging them with every weapon imaginable.

"Why are they so insistent on killing you all?" James asked.

"Long story," everyone else replied in unison.

It didn't take very long for the car to drive off out of sight of the raiders. They kept speeding along though till the vehicle seemed to drive over a huge lump in their path.

"Hey, you just ran over that mole rat back there!" Jericho yelled over the roar of the engine, cutting through the silence that had been draped over everyone the entire drive.

"Yeah, so?" Scar replied, his voice on the verge of a cry as well.

The older man turned slightly so that his head was facing them. "Run over yourself! See how you like it."

"Huh, didn't think you'd be the type to care about animal welfare." Scar kept his eyes ahead as he talked.

Elias chuckled from backseat. "Well, he _is_ an animal so…."

The scientist watched as Jericho slammed his middle finger against the back windscreen directed at Elias. His son looked at him before turning around again and laughing.

As the sun crept up on the horizon, everyone was slowly falling asleep except for James and his son who were well rested. Eventually, the driver did stop somewhere in the middle of the desert and everyone immediately got out and collapsed on the ground. Jericho, whose head had been lolling to the side ever so slowly during the drive, just slid off the boot and fell like a sack of potatoes into a slump on the ground.

It took a few minutes for the group to set up a makeshift campsite where the others would get a few hours or so of shut eye without hearing the blaring engine and being constantly rocked around from the bumpy path they were driving over.

Jericho, the ghoul, Scar and Dogmeat quickly drifted into sleep and the only two left awake was James and Elias.

James walked over to his son who was staring at the ground from against a large boulder, eyes glazed over and sightless. "Are you doing okay, son? You seem troubled, like there's a cloud hanging over you. I'm here if you ever want to talk, alright?"

Elias sighed and slumped down against the rock. "I have no idea what I'm doing, dad. Lucy is dead. Even though Jericho annoys the shit out of me, he's right. It isn't completely his fault – I'm to blame as well. I dragged her into it and she paid the ultimate price!" He closed his eyes and James saw tears stream down his face that he tried to wipe away with his right forearm.

Kneeling beside him and sitting down against the rock as well, "Start from the beginning," James said.

And so he did. Elias told his father everything from the morning he woke up the morning of that fateful day up until the moment he sat in the tranquillity lounger. James listening, with a mixture of horror and bewilderment nearly the entire time, only interceding at certain points;

"Wait, you helped it?" James laughed. "What's next? You liberating toasters? Our Pip-boys?"

"I know. I know. That's exactly what I thought when I first found out…" He turned to look at him with such conviction that James nearly regretted using those words. "But, dad, when I saw the photographic evidence – he looked exactly like a real man. It was remarkable! In fact, I had met him beforehand and didn't notice. That's when I starting doubting my standpoint on the whole affair. I was never going to turn him over to someone like Zimmer but I wasn't planning on helping him either. When I confronted Harkness with the evidence, the emotions he conveyed… I instantly knew right then and there I had been wrong. He was more human than some humans I've met. I _had_ to warn him."

Once Elias had finished his entire story, they sat in complete silence. James quietly mulling over all this new information. He had no idea his son was capable of all that. For a brief second, he wondered if his son was full of shit and had just become an excellent liar over the past few weeks. But what he wondered the most was what his son really felt with the women that had affected him so greatly. James had always known there was something more there than friendship in Elias and Amata's relationship but wasn't certain if they had ever gotten together. And then this new girl…

"Do you love her?" James asked at last.

A red blush clouded his cheeks. A sight James never saw too often. "…Who?"

"Amata… and this Lucy girl. Do you love them?"

Elias slumped back against the rock, still in the same positions they'd been in since first starting this conversation nearly three hours ago. He looked the other way. "Dad… I don't even know what love is."

"Love, my son, is putting someone else's happiness before your own. Was that the case with either of them?"

Staring up at the stars in deep thought, Elias muttered,

"I don't know."

* * *

Once Elias had fallen asleep, James got up and sat on a rock a few meters away. Someone had to keep watch and everyone else was too tired to be able to keep their eyes open for more than a few seconds… and they were all passed out.

Unaware of the time that passed as he lost himself in deep thought, he heard a "Ahem" from behind. James turned in his seat on the rock at the sound to see Jericho lowering the fist he'd coughed into. "Uh, Mr Hawke?"

"…Yes?"

The man's gaze went from his feet to the side then back to James. "I know I didn't make the best first impression, I wish you hadn't seen any of it." He scratched the back of his head. "But I, uh, want to give you something… to give to your son…" There was a long awkward pause before Jericho cleared his throat, lifted the briefcase in his hand. "Here," he said and stretched his arm with the case out to the doctor.

Looking at the case with a slightly furrowed brow before eyeing Jericho again, James slowly got off the rock and rose to his full height. "Why don't you just give it to him yourself?"

Snorting out air in almost a chortle, Jericho answered as he looked away again, "He'd never accept it from me…" His wandering gaze then locked with James' once more and for a fraction of a second, the doctor saw the sadness buried there before it was quickly masked again. "I'm sure he told you all about what I did."

James simply nodded.

"I know it doesn't make up for it and this probably means nothing to you but I am… sorry."

A long silence drifted over the two before James finally said,

"I believe you."

* * *

James couldn't do this on his own. The facility hadn't been used in nearly twenty years and he'd need to get plenty of things up and running again. He needed help. Needed Madison's help. Most of all, he needed his son's help.

As soon as they got back in D.C, James went straight to Rivet City to request Dr Li's assistance. It took some convincing but he managed to persuade her to join him in his efforts. Much to his son's surprise. She brought along her entire team of scientists and assistants plus two of the lab's security guards which included a buff but rather dull man named Garza, Anna Holt, Janice Kaplinski, and Dr Alex Dargon.

As soon as they arrived together at the Jefferson Memorial in the large group, James set the team to work almost immediately. There wasn't much time left in the day so they spent the rest of the afternoon clearing out two super mutant corpses and tidied up the rest of the place and got the main power running again.

That night, they celebrated in the mess hall right beside the main sleeping area with all the bunks. With plenty of alcohol, the radio playing and a lot of graceless, drunken dancing.

Elias and his little group were segregated off to the side, talking. James moved to join them with his bottle of scotch, a personal favourite.

"Mr Hawke, do you mind if I ask who Elias is named after?" The driver asked as soon as he stepped into the circle, leaning against the workbench. James had come to like the man, he certainly knew his stuff when it came to engineering and mechanics and he'd be an asset in this project.

"Please, call me James. And he's named after his grandmother," James answered.

Brow shooting up, Eli spat out the liquid in his mouth, looked at his father in disbelief. "What?"

"Huh, always knew you were a girl," Jericho muttered before taking a shot of what looked like whiskey.

"Is there a problem with that?" Elias shot back. Jericho only shrugged. "What was my grandmother's name?" Suddenly very interested.

"Elisa."

"And it never occurred to you to mention her at all?"

Taking a gulp of his liquor, James said, "You would've searched her up in the vault records and she wasn't in there."

Elias turned his head the other away to hide the grin because that's exactly what he'd do and has done. James knew. "Fair enough, I suppose," his son muttered to himself.

The next day past by without a hitch. He tasked his son with fixing the flood control pumps in the sub-basement, assigning Scar and Garza to assist. Jericho and the ghoul, whose name James found out was Charon, were on patrol with the other two guards.

By the end of it all, everyone was exhausted and had already dozed off.

James snuck by them so he wouldn't wake them, leaving for the exit. He needed to do something…

Once outside he strolled up to the rocks on the edge of the water, standing beside the grave of his deceased wife and Elias' mother, he adjusted his scarf at the thought of her. Looked on at the Potomac shimmering beneath the moon in its light, closed his eyes for a few brief moments and opened them again whilst letting out a sigh. This wasn't what he wanted for his son. _This_ life in _this_ wasteland. No sane person would want this for their children. It wasn't exactly the life he wanted for himself either. But he couldn't let everyone's hard work and all their sacrifices be left in vain. It couldn't be for nothing.

"I won't let this project die, Catherine," he whispered into the breeze, letting the wind carry his words on. As if somehow it would reach her ear wherever her soul was now. He'd _die_ before that ever happened.

Hearing the crackle of gravel beneath footsteps behind him, James turned at the sound.

"What are you doing out here?" Elias asked, concerned.

Turning back around, James stared longingly at Catherine's grave once more. "This is your mother's final resting place."

There was a long pause.

"How did mom really die?"

Sucking in a deep breath and releasing it slowly after, James spoke, "I know I've given you plenty of reason to question a good many things I've told you over the years. But your mother…" James looked back at his son whom had his eyes to the ground at his feet, "I never lied about what happened. Not once."

Elias's gaze flicked up to meet that of his father's, nodded to show he believed him.

James continued as he listened to Elias' footsteps getting closer, returning his full attention to the grave post with his deceased wife's name inscribed, "She died giving birth to you…" The doctor looked up at the night sky above. "She was so eager to meet you and make a place for you in the world."

At his side now, Elias stopped and stood still. "Is this about mom?" he asked, his forehead angling forward with his head turned to watch him. "Are you trying so hard with this project because of what happened to her?"

"Oh, my son." James felt his eyes water as the memories of her flooded in and overwhelmed his mind. "If only you could have known how much it meant to her. She believed in the work we were doing, and was so determined to see it through. She gave up so much for the project. We all did, and I don't want that to have been for nothing."

Elias didn't respond right away and when he did, he changed the subject, "I'm sorry I disappointed you, dad, but I really was given no other choice." The doctor had taken the time to think it all over and ultimately was glad he did come. If his son never turned up, James would've been stuck in that simulation as a dog for who knew how long.

"I know son…. But what if you were given a choice and you knew my reasoning for leaving you there. Would you still have left?"

"Honestly…? Yes." A small innocent smile sprung on his face. "You know I never liked it there, I didn't belong."

James knew deep down that what his son was saying was candid. Elias never really belonged there. Neither did he… It was a safe place to live, sure, but it wasn't… home. No matter how much he wished it to be so.

When someone felt they didn't belong somewhere, they did one of three things; vanish and never return, bottle up these feelings till it consumed them or turn rebellious… because they didn't know what else to do. Elias took the rebellious route in his early and mid-teens; becoming something of a class-clown – using humour to draw attention and laughs, he mucked around, excessively pranked the Overseer and the other elders he detested and regularly partook in multiple fights with the pathetic excuse for a gang Butch established, James was surprised Elias never threw in with them himself. Though he did complete all his work to an exceptional standard, he would often turn up late to class or not at all.

James remembered one of the first times it happened: Mr Brotch had asked him explain to the class why he was late. _'Someone told me to go to hell,"_ he had replied then coughed twice into his fisted hand, _'Butch,'_ and coughed twice more. _'Couldn't find it at first but now I'm here.'_

Of course, James couldn't be mad with an excuse like that but it was only the beginning of the downward spiral.

James sighed once more.

"I'm sorry I left you there."

Father and Son stayed there for a while in silence before agreeing to head back in together to get some sleep. As soon as they were back inside the memorial, however, James stopped his son before he could return to his quarters.

"Son… I, uh, got you something." He held up the silver briefcase and handed it over.

His brow drew together as if he somehow recognised it, sat down on James' bed and unlatched the clips. "No way!" he uttered as he opened it on his lap, all his features immediately lit up. "How did you know I wanted these?" He looked up at James with a wide smile.

"I just do."

Elias got up, moved the open case to the bed and pulled James into a hug. "Thanks."

Behind his son, Jericho passed by the door, looked on in sadness before bowing his head and walking off.

A pang of guilt hit James right in the stomach and he wasn't sure why.

"And also, I want you to have this." He pulled off the red scarf that he'd worn every single day of his life since Catherine's passing. "It used to be your mothers, now it's yours." He wrapped it loosely around Elias, flicked the tail over the boy's shoulder before stepping back. "Keep it safe." Oh, how proud of his son he was.

Elias nodded. "I will."

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

It had been amazing to finally be reunited with his father again. He couldn't recall the last time he'd felt so… happy. And free. In the vault, Elias was jaded with life. He hated being trapped in the same monotonous routine. Getting up and going to school, facing people he disliked on a daily basis, feeling worthless, feeling so tired that he couldn't remember the last time he felt awake, feeling pressured and trapped, like there was no way out… but most of all… he felt alone. The feelings only intensified once he was put into a job and finished school. Elias hated all of it.

Now, he finally felt like he was doing something meaningful. Bringing clean, fresh water back to humanity. And he was doing it with his father who had usually been preoccupied and too busy for much bonding time. And then he was just gone.

He knew that saying, 'You don't you have something till it's gone'. Truth was, he did know. He just never imagined living without him. He would never take that for granted again.

Elias had spent majority of the morning replacing burst fuses, when he was done his father called him over on the intercom to check out a blockage in one of the main drainage pipes.

As soon as he reached the grate, he pulled it off and slid down the ladder into the tunnel, landing with a splash in the inch-deep water. Elias cringed at the residue he collected on his hands that used to be on the rungs and wiped it on his lower jumpsuit. Knowing he was going to have to clean the thing once they got real water.

Shrouded in darkness, Elias flicked on his Pip-boy to see better. The pipe wasn't as cramped as he had originally thought but he still had to duck as he wandered through to avoid slamming his head into the ceiling.

He found the valve shortly after, taking hold of it and spinning he looked up through the access grate above it. A strange sound swooped through, volume loudening with each passing second, and Elias squinted his eyes to see out of it better. A real vertibird, not a model like the one at the Museum of Technology - an aircraft that looked like it was a cross between a jet and a helicopter, was slowly descending above the memorial. In white, a Large capital 'E' was painted on the side door with a ring of stars around it. He could make out more zipping past to land elsewhere.

 _What's going on?_

Out of the now grounded vertibird filed several power armoured soldiers. _Brotherhood, maybe?_ No, their suits were of a much different model than that of the Brotherhood's and were a full black instead of grey.

Elias moved away front the grate and followed the tunnel the opposite way he came, insistent on getting to the bottom of why these uninvited guests were here.

* * *

 **James' POV:**

James Hawke had barely no time at all to devise a plan as these people landed they were immediately through the front doors and already on to making demands.

Fortunately, James had an extensive experience with dealing with stupid people – thanks to Overseer Alphonse. He eyed the man that exerted the most authority as he stepped into the Purifier flanked by two armoured guards. Beside the doctor, Janice was shaking nervously.

Two more troopers ordered the rest of the scientists outside the purifier at the bottom of the stairs to drop to their knees and put their hands on the back of their head as if they were being arrested.

"By the authority of the President, this facility is now under United States Government control. Whoever is in charge is to step forward immediately and turn over all materials related to this project," the man in the light brown trench coat ordered, his hands behind his back as he spoke.

James took a step forward, returning the hard gaze the man before him sent. "I'm afraid that's quite impossible. This is a private project, the government has no authority here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave at once."

The tightening of the man's mouth was the only sign of annoyance. "Am I to assume that you are in charge?"

Nodding, "That is correct, I'm responsible for this project," James replied.

Straightening up a smidge, he cleared his throat and said, "Then I repeat that you are hereby instructed to immediately hand over all materials related to the purifier." How did he know so much about the project to know that they were working on purification? "Furthermore, you are to assist Enclave scientists in assuming control of the administration and operation of this facility at once."

"I'm sorry but the facility isn't operational. It never has been. You're wasting your time here."

Jaw hardening and forehead creasing into a frown, James watched the man clench a fist. "This is the absolute LAST time I'm going to repeat myself. Stand down at once."

Looking over the man's badge, James saw that he was a Colonel in whatever army this Enclave government remnant had scraped together, going by the name 'Autumn'. "Colonel, I assure you, this facility will not function. We have never been able to successfully replicate test results."

Without missing a beat, Autumn drew a customized 10 mm pistol and shot a trembling Janice right between the eyes. "I suggest you comply with my very reasonable requests to prevent any further 'incidents'." James mouth gaped open and eyes went wide, blood running cold as he stared at Janice's now lifeless body crumpled on the ground. He heard someone scream from outside, in the rotunda, and a few struggling grunts. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Very well, I'll do it. There's no need for any further violence. Just give me a few minutes to get the system online." As he turned towards the purifier's main control panel and saw the gauges up in the red zone, he snapped his head round to the crashing sound of the door and watched as Elias and his friends burst into the room and blasted in a volley of rifle and shotgun fire, gunning down the two sentries behind the scientists and the two behind Autumn who turned to meet their attack. James caught the worried gaze of his son and knew he needed to do what he was about to do. The purifier could NOT end up in the Enclave's hands. This was for his son and for Catherine.

James uppercut Autumn to the jaw with a hard right, shaking his hand to try and quell the pain that shot up from his balled hand to the arm he flicked the switch and the airlock slammed shut as soon as Elias made it up the steps.

"Dad, what are you doing?"

Smiling solemnly to his boy who'd finally grown into a man, he turned back to the panel and typed in those three digits… 2… 1… 6...

Two shots from the Colonel's handgun slammed into him from behind as the purifier shook with full force tremors, James could barely stand as the radiation quickly and steadily filtered into the room. The Enclave would eventually take hold of the facility, that much was obvious. James hoped that by this sabotage, it would set the organisation back as far as possible and prevent it from ever being useful to their goals - whatever they were.

Autumn dropped to his knees as he grasped at his throat, James stumbled past him to the panel separating him and his son who was banging hopelessly on the glass. The doctor didn't make it very far before he too collapsed to his hands and knees as the radiation choked the life out of him and the added pain of his two bullet wounds.

James looked up at the distraught face of his only child and reached out with a shaky hand. There were so many things he wanted to say to him. But there wasn't enough time. He wanted to tell him all about his own adventures in the wasteland that he'd been forced to withheld in the vault, he wanted to tell him that he loved him, that he and his mother would watch over him… but most of all, he wanted to tell him how proud he was to have him as a son. But there wasn't enough time. And thus, only one word managed to escape his throat, "RUN!"

Falling flat to the ground of the Purifier, James finally succumbed to the darkness creeping up at the edges of his vision. The edges of his mind.

There wasn't enough time…

* * *

 **A/N: I really like James in Fallout 3. Not just because he is voiced by Liam Neeson, but because he is one of the few truly interesting characters. He is the one that is forced to make the tough decisions; the choice whether or not to stay at Project Purity after the birth of his child or stay and try to piece the dying project back together while struggling to raise a son or daughter, the choice to continue after so many years - leaving the only safe place in the Wasteland or stay and forever wonder if Project Purity could ever have worked, the choice to bring his child with him or leave them behind etc. In the game, the only choices you got to make were things like "should I blow up Megaton or Nah?" or "should I blow up the Citadel or Adams Air Force Base?". So I was genuinely surprised at the amount of negative responses his character has received. Tell me what you guys think.**

 **I myself use the Commonwealth spelling so 'color' is spelt 'colour' etc. but Elias is American so he says 'mom' instead of 'mum'. Just in case anyone was curious. (No one was)**

 **Be sure to Fav, follow and review if you're enjoying this so far and even if you're not XD but if that was the case, why the hell did you read this far?**

 **Until next time. :D**


	13. Chapter 13: The Lost Boy Part 1

**Shoutouts: Alexeij, PaladinDelta, Paladin Bailey, LoneReader101, The Desert Dancer & TantrumNorseGospel. Thank you guys so much for the reviews! :D**

 **A\N: Just wanted to let you guys know that this story has reached 50 favs! Thanks you all so much for the support, really means a lot :)**

 **Anyway, on to the story!**

* * *

Chapter 13: The Lost Boy Part 1

 **Elias's POV:**

"All in all, a one hundred percent successful retreat," Elias Hawke announced as he helped Charon out of the distasteful, feral ghoul infested sever, through the grate in the ground and out into the open. The view of the Potomac a prominent one, water sparkling under the light of day. The Pentagon behind them, five of its rings had been destroyed in the aftermath of the Great War according to his travelling companions he'd when asked about it.

"Hawke… we lost your father and Scar is nowhere to be found," Charon said, voice earnest.

"All in all, a one hundred percent successful retreat," Elias repeated, turning his head and gaze away to the huge building backing them, blinking away tears that so much as dared to manifest.

The scene flashed before his eyes again. Having replayed over and over in his mind for the last desperate hour as the survivors of Project Purity tore their way through the escape tunnels - scarpering from the Enclave, like some kind of nightmare in day form. He sees himself banging against the glass repeatedly, screaming and cursing. His fists redden and he knows they will begin to bruise and swell but doesn't care. Until finally he gives up, all he can do is watch hopelessly as his father chokes and bleeds to death, his stinging balled hands bordering his view as they remained glued to the glass. When his father at last hit the ground of the Purifier, he thought his heart would stop. Part of him had refused to believe it. Part of him broke just imagining it. In that moment, that single moment, he witnessed his whole world fall apart… and all he could do was stare blankly. He'd never felt more powerless.

 _No,_ he screamed at the back of his mind _, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening!_

Elias couldn't let them see him cry.

* * *

 **Sarah's POV:**

Sarah Lyons paced in front of the young initiate before her in the courtyard. Sarah Lyons, the Sentinel of the Eastern Brotherhood Chapter and daughter of Elder Owen Lyons. The Citadel was abuzz with as much activity as any other day, soldiers marched around the courtyard; stomping their metal feet on stone, energy weapons clicked and fizzed as they were reloaded and shot into targets for training, the unmistakable bark of Gunny's insults and admonishment of the next batch of initiates.

"What's your name, initiate?" Sarah asked, stopping to look on at the young boy with disdain. He was around sixteen or seventeen, on the cusp of manhood.

Bowing his head, "Initiate Hunter, ma'am," he said, voice barely above a whisper.

"No, you're first name." She walked by him and her gaze moved over to the rest of the Citadel courtyard. Soldiers of varying ranks and skill levels trained in the ring, on the shooting ranges or the outdoor gym set up. Sarah wasn't even sure why this kid was in trouble and why she was the one who had to deal with his ass. Something about a brawl breaking out.

He hesitated. She didn't know why almost everyone was intimidated by her but as soon as her back was turned, they would already be on to spreading whispers about her. The only ones with the guts and backbone to say it to her face were the members of the Pride, and even then they would only say it jokingly. "Uh, Richard… ma'am."

Stopping dead in her tracks, "Wait. Your name is Dick Hunter?" she asked, spinning around.

She got a timid "yes" in reply.

Sarah laughed. "You know what? I'm not even mad. You're free to go." Walking past him, she slapped him on the back of the shoulder and shook her head.

Stunned for a second, Initiate Hunter nodded frantically, raced the hell out of sight, leaving her alone in the courtyard with only the grunts of sparring troops and whizzing of lasers into targets to keep her company.

Taking a deep breath of fresh air, she made her way over to the double doors that led straight to the lab. As she got a few meters away, out marched her father Elder Lyons, flanked by two Knights.

Stepping out of their way to the side of the path, she asked, "Elder? What's going on?"

"We've got visitors," he divulged with a tired smile. No that was incorrect. Everything about him screamed he was tired, never seemed to get enough sleep. Work and stress kept him up at night. Was that what was in stall for her if – no, _when_ \- she became Elder? "One of which isn't a fan of waiting."

Intrigued, Sarah followed after the entourage to the gates of the Citadel.

Of course. Of bloody course _he_ had to be at their door. A bunch of scientists and two mercenary, gun-for-hire looking types had showed up. At the point of which stood none other than him… Hawke. Of course.

Her father chatted with an imposing, bossy Asian scientist that Sarah assumed was the head of the team of scientists before she moved on and he spoke with Elias. "You have my condolences, your father was a good man."

Elias nodded but didn't say anything. He had his gaze lowered to the concrete pavement beneath them.

She thought back to when she could have met his father. She was a toddler at the time, but yes, she remembered a man who looked strikingly similar to Elias. Her memory of him vague and blurry, however.

"You just always manage to get yourself into trouble, don't you?" she said as soon as her father left them. The scientists had left with their leader and one of the mercenaries went with them, the other, a ghoul, stayed behind with Hawke and the dog.

A small, almost forced smile formed on his face. "It's a gift." It didn't reach his eyes.

"Well I think you should return it." He didn't reply so after a few moments of silence she clapped her metal power armour hands together and said, "Well, my father has tasked me with showing you around the Citadel so you don't get lost and find yourself in a dark corner." From the look on his face, though, a dark corner seemed to be exactly where he wanted to go.

They toured the courtyard, but as she walked into the building of the Citadel, the guards crossed their guns over, forming an X, to halt Elias' ghoul companion. "What's a ghoul doing in the Citadel?" one asked.

The ghoul just stands there patiently waiting for them to lower their guns. Before Sarah can answer and tell them to stand down, Elias comes to his aid, standing just in front of her having already made it past. "He's the muscle."

A small smirk played on the ghoul's lips. "And the brains and the beauty," he added.

Elias nodded. "That too."

"On my authority," Sarah said, "both these men have a right to pass."

They immediately drop their guns and stand at attention, allowing the three to continue their journey. They tour the lab, the A and B wings, the mess hall, Elias' assigned quarters which were two doors down from hers and the Power Armour bays. At the same time, she took several attempts to make conversation that he almost immediately shut down each instance.

"I'm going to be honest with you, I half expected you to end up dead on the side of the road," she had said as they walked through the lab.

"Wow." Elias rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"No, I didn't mean –" she started. "I was joking."

Elias looked away. "Whatever."

Further on in the trip, she asked, "What about your mother. Is she alive?"

"No," he replied curtly.

She cast her gaze away from him and to the path ahead. "We… have that in common."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" The bite in his tone stung and she closed her eyes.

Then she remembered that blond girl that was with him the first time they met and wondered why she wasn't with him now. Hoping to lighten the tension in the air, she said, "So, what happened to your girlfriend? She dump your ass already?" It had the entirely opposite effect.

From behind, she heard his teeth grit. "She caught a severe case of 'not being alive anymore' as well."

 _Well played, Sarah._ She glanced back at him. "I'm sorry… I didn't know." She looked into his eyes, at his face, and realised he was barely holding back tears. The least she could do is back off and allow him a bit of privacy to mourn alone.

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

"Yeah, you're right, you don't know. Just like you don't know me and I don't know you. I think it's best we keep it that way," he snapped. Heads turn and soon everyone nearby has stopped and stared at him, as does Sarah. The feeling of so many eyes boring into him overwhelms and he storms off. The entire building suddenly seemed stifling and he's definitely queasy now. He retraced his steps to the quarters the Sentinel said were his, already regretting his words to her, Dogmeat lolling along behind. She's hardly to blame for all that's happened in the last twenty-four hours… in the last month. He considers going back and apologising but, instead, his feet continue along in the opposite direction of her.

After a short while of wandering alone, he heard the thumping of footsteps behind. Not the clanging of power armour. He knew those footsteps.

"Elias…"

Elias gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'm fine. Leave me alone."

Practically feeling Charon shake his head, Elias also felt his irritation grow exponentially. "No, you're not…"

Turning ninety degrees so that he can get a good look back at Charon, "Can I give you a ladder so you can get off my back?" he asked and watched as the ghoul bowed his head and sighed. Elias huffed at the sight and walked off again, his steps significantly quicker.

Stepping inside the room he'd been designated to, Elias looked around as Dogmeat walked in beside him. There wasn't much inside apart from a bed, dressing table and shelf – all bare. But it was the best accommodation he'd received since stepping out into the Wastes for the first time. Elias closed the door behind him and slowly made his way over to the bed, lowering himself on to it. He stayed like that for a while, just staring at his knees and dirtied combat boots.

He was sore all the way down to the bone, and covered in random bruises, scrapes and scratches that hadn't healed yet from his lack of radiation exposure, all itchy with dried blood and he wasn't sure how any of them got there. But the physical pain and exhaustion catching up to him was nothing compared to how emotionally drained he was.

If there was ever a time to cry, now was the time to do so. Where no one could see or hear him. Only no tears came, he was either too tired or too numb. There was nothing there. Nothing left. Only a desire to be somewhere else. To let this all just be some horrible dream.

Sitting there, he thought about it all. Gone. His father was well and truly gone this time. Gone and never coming back. There was no more scouring the Wasteland to seek him out. All that for nothing. It took a while for this all to sink in. He would never see his dad again. Never speak to him, never laugh with him, never hug him ever again. Nothing.

From his glossy blue eyes, a single tear managed to form, trickled down his cheek before dropping onto his lap and darkening the fabric of his jumpsuit leg. It was soon followed by more and his face found his hands as he let it all out. Dogmeat jumped onto the bed and curled up beside him, whimpering. Elias hugged the hound close.

Soon, there truly was nothing left. He had swung his legs onto the bed, not caring about getting mud on the sheets and lay there for a long while staring up at the ceiling. This was probably the worst part. When he'd depleted his tear ducts, he felt emotionless. Emotionless and empty. He'd been through this shortly after Lucy passed away but this time around, it was somehow amplified tenfold.

So he just lay there. Hoping to fall asleep before he fell apart.

* * *

The next few days played out relatively the same way. The nightmares haunted Elias every night. Each and every time he awoke with a phantom ache in his muscles and a feeling of breathlessness, always covered in sweat.

Almost every moment of the day he had this drapetomania, this overwhelming urge to leave and run away from it all – almost as strong as the one he had lived with the entirety of his life in the vault. He'd climb up, stand on the Citadel's battlements and watch the sunset blankly. The breeze rushing over him no longer made him feel refreshed, but instead slapped him on face. He always stood wondering if he should walk away into it, leave everyone, never look back and whither away into the nothingness that he was. But he never did.

Instead, he yelled and snapped at anyone attempting to talk to him. Then ignored everyone else. Jericho received the worst of his rage bouts, but the older man would always stare sadly back at him. Elias never exactly yelled at Charon but he was rude in the worst ways and eventually the ghoul gave up.

"The death of those around you is inevitable, especially in this hell. It's how you deal with it that counts," was the last thing Charon said to him.

Of course, Elias had scoffed, not caring. "You sound like you speak from experience," he had bit back coldly.

The ghoul had given him a long, hard look that Elias returned with a squinted glare, until finally, Elias could've sworn he saw Charon's eyes water. He didn't get a very good look, though, because the ghoul immediately after turned on his heel and walked away. Elias hadn't seen him since.

Soon everyone had opted to just stay out of his way. They'd step out into a hallway, spot him coming and immediately retreat back into whatever room they came from. And Elias took a sick satisfaction in watching them stumble around to flee his sight.

The Brotherhood expected him to adhere to some sort of schedule of training, meals, meetings, he never did. Mostly he would just wander around, his once proud gait now slumped and slow, and sit somewhere hidden. An abandoned air duct, behind the shelves in storerooms, even the janitor's closet that never seemed to be used. Anywhere out of the way where no one would find him. It wasn't like they'd ever come looking though. Only Sarah did. She'd track him down and sit opposite him, they never spoke, just silently watch each other – or glare in his case – till he'd look away and lower his head to his knees. No one knew what to do with him. Hell, he didn't know what to do with himself either.

Some days he felt so sad. So sad and empty that he completely shuts down, staring blankly at walls. It doesn't matter what was going on outside the door of whatever room he closed himself in because in those moments, he didn't exist.

Currently, he found himself seated on the floor of the food storage cupboard. He looked around blankly at all the boxes of preserved pre-war food layering the shelves. He'd never been the type to eat his feelings but seeing as all this food was here and he was starving from all those skipped meals… it would be a waste not to scoff it all down.

Elias sat on the ground devouring box after box of sugar bombs, hair dishevelled, eyes red and wild, jumpsuit reeking of sweat, blood and dirt, like the wreck he'd become in a matter of a few days. Eli had been missing meals, not wanting to eat with eyes watching his every move, he instead snuck into the mess hall at nights and picked at food leftovers in the fridges. It wasn't long before the door opened to a familiar face, the only person who could put up with him.

He glanced up from his overfilled bowl of cereal to gain a glimpse of whoever decided to interrupted his… mourning. "What are you doing now?" she asked, sighing immediately after.

Elias reached over to one of the empty boxes and shook it in front of him. "Raiding your sugar bomb supply, what does it look like?" His throat was tight and the words came out in a croak.

Rolling her eyes, Sarah said, "Yeah, I can see that." She stepped up to him and held out a hand. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up. My father requests your presence at the next meeting."

After staring at her hand for a few seconds, he took it and allowed her to pull him to his feet. "If you hadn't noticed already, I've been purposely skipping those," he said but followed her anyway.

"We all know. But Dr Li has informed us that only you know what this 'Project Purity' thing requires to get it up and running again, right?" Once they were out in the hall, Sarah slowed her stride to walk beside him.

Of course, he knew. As soon as Elias and co had escaped those raiders, James would not shut up about Project Purity. Though Elias was glad his father was passionate about it, all the information went from one ear and out the other. But what the project needed, Elias remembered that. "The project was never running in the first place." His face was still blank and his voice a croaky impassive.

"Well, you know what I mean. We're going to need you to cooperate for once."

Another Brotherhood solider stepped out into the hall, he hesitated for a second but decided to keep going. The cautious look on his face and in his mannerism only reinforced Elias' theory that everyone here thought he was mentally insane. As the man passed, Elias hissed at him and watched as he backed into the wall and awkwardly side stepped along it until he disappeared into another room.

Sentinel Lyons directed him to the bathrooms but he declined. He didn't care if he looked like a hobo at a Brotherhood council meeting. It probably wasn't going to be worth his time anyway.

As they walked in together, a couple of the Paladins gave him the stink eye and he returned it. Just as he thought, everyone else looked dapper with their Brotherhood uniforms, combed hair and washed faces while he sat looking like a savage.

The conference table was a large doughnut shape, the middle missing and the ring outlined with chairs for the heads of the Brotherhood. The three head scribes, Knight and Paladin commanders, Elias, Sarah who sat beside him, and Elder Lyons who stood behind his seat opposite to the door in his blue Elder robes. "As you are all well-aware, the Enclave, an enemy we thought long gone has returned and has already made a move against us by invading Hawke's father's Project Purity." Everyone nodded as Elias closed his eyes, he was sick of being constantly reminded. In reality and his dreams. A holomap of D.C. spread across the gap in the circular table. "We've sent multiple scouts out to survey the area. As you can probably tell by now, the Enclave has set up some sort of force field around the Purifier and any possible entry point so we haven't been able to get inside –"

In a whirlwind of motion, Elias balled both hands into fists and brought them down onto the table before him with a resounding 'BANG' that made everyone jump in their seats. He stood up abruptly, his chair skidding out from under him. "Are you telling me you haven't done anything yet?" he cut the Elder off, ignoring the shocked looks from everyone present and meeting them with a glare. "It's been a week! They could have a whole army gathered by now!"

Looking around at all the faces watching him, Elias realised the silence meant something. "They already have an army gathered, don't they?" The words were spat out through his clenched teeth. They had the tech, the manpower and the resources to take back the Purifier but they did nothing.

One of the Paladins nodded. "They have invaded nearly every settlement except Rivet City and have set up outposts all over the Capital."

Sitting forward in her seat, Sarah Lyons spoke up, "Elias is right. What's the point in waiting until they decide we're next on the list? The Pride should've went in the day they got here and caught them while they were vulnerable. In fact, if the Pride and another force goes in now rather than waiting another week, we might still have a chance. We could cut around the side and search for a weakness in their forcefield –"

"You may be a Sentinel, but you're also my daughter. And I won't throw your life away fighting an enemy we know too little about. I'm sorry, but no." Elder Lyons shook his head.

Sarah rolled her eyes, crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat until she was slouched against it, looking like she wanted to slide off and under the table. "All I'm saying is the longer we sit here, the more time they have to shore up their defences," she said to no one in particular, without making eye contact with her father. "We should hit them sooner rather than later."

The Elder stared pointedly at his daughter. "Even if we manage to penetrate their forces and take control of the Purifier, what then? It is useless to us if we can't get it working. We'll need Hawke to inform us what the system even needs beforehand."

"It needs a G.E.C.K," Elias said immediately. "I don't suppose you have one of those lying around, do ya'?" The silence was his answer. "Didn't think so. You are all useless, thanks for nothing." He got up and left the room without another word.

* * *

 **Sarah's POV:**

Sarah leaned her head back in the chair and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. They weren't getting anywhere with this irksome game he insisted on playing every hour of the day. Sitting properly, she quickly gazed around at everyone awkwardly twiddling their thumbs in the silence. She was surprised no one had shot him yet. She stood up. "I'm going to go after him."

Once she was out in the hall, she looked down either end of the hallways, mulling over all the possible places he could've stormed off too. Sometimes finding his ass and making sure he hadn't hung himself yet could be the most exhausting part. She decided to head to his quarters first.

He was in there packing that backpack of his, cramming it with all the belongings laid out on his bed. The sheets were ruffled and half on, half off from his lack of desire to pull them back and smooth them out properly.

"Hawke…" Sarah hedged, unsure of what to say. The speech she had made up and rehearsed in her head as she walked here completely forgotten, her mind blank.

Other than the slight twitch of his lips, Elias have no indication that he even heard her.

She sighed, a long, dejected whistle of air. "We can't keep doing this…"

He stopped what he was doing, his hand tightened around the object in his grasp before placing it on the bed and he snapped his attention to her with a sharp turn of his head. The knot slowly twisting itself in her stomach yanked tighter at the way his eyes flashed with annoyance. "That's why I'm leaving, now how about you leave me alone."

This couldn't go on any longer. She'd been trying to work with him but she'd reached tipping point. He was allowed to mourn but she had had enough of listening to his verbal abuse directed at anyone who spoke to him. Someone needed to give him a good kick up the ass, and seeing as no one else was exactly stepping forward… "And then what? You're just going to find some other place to sit around all day wallowing in how terrible you feel?"

He grimaced in what looked like disgust, meeting her calm gaze with an angry glare. "Well, what else am I going to do? My sole purpose since leaving the vault and coming to this godforsaken hell was to find my father! And now he's gone! I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore!" He had thrown his hands up to further his point.

Not knowing what to say, Sarah remained silent as he pressed on.

"I was so incompetent that I lost my only family mere days after finally seeing him again!"

"Look _vault boy_ ," she jabbed a finger at him, "we all feel for you, we know you haven't had it easy these past few days-" She watched him roll his eyes and mutter under his breath. "We want – no, we're trying – to help you but you moping around and screaming your head off at everything that gets close isn't exactly assisting with that."

"You have this whole army waltzing around but resigned to sit around and do nothing! I wouldn't call that 'helping', _soldier girl_."

"Isn't that exactly what you're doing? How do you expect us to do anything when you're not even making an effort yourself?!" Her voice had raised now. The whole week's worth of pent up frustration had furiously bubbled at the surface and she couldn't remove the bite from her tone.

His eyes had narrowed at her until they were barely slits, his face screamed contempt and derision like he was trying to choke her through telekinesis. She had seen the look directed at plenty of people but this was the first time it was meant for her. She stood her ground though and returned it.

Sarah turned on her heel and left the room. She could practically feel the hateful glare stabbing her in the back on her way out.

* * *

 **A\N: So I've already got the next part of this well underway, I just had to cut it short because this argument here ^ is too important to be in the middle.**

 **Don't worry, there will be a lot of sappy fluff in the next chapter :D**

 **Next chap will be out soon.**


	14. Chapter 13: The Lost Boy Part 2

**Shoutouts: The Desert Dancer, Alexiej, TantrumNorseGospel, Mandalore The Freedom, PaladinDelta, MrGenMatt... and Dave xD Thanks you all for the reviews, I greatly appreciate it.**

 **A\N: So Welcome to Part 2 of Chapter 13, there will be a 3rd and that will conclude this massive-ass chapter that turned out much bigger than I expected. Anyway, on to the story!**

* * *

Chapter 13 Part 2: The Lost Boy

 **Elias' POV:**

Of course, she'd leave. Everyone left him eventually.

Elias was infuriated. He wanted to throw something or punch something but instead he just roared out something unintelligible and collapsed onto his backpack before sliding onto the cold, hard ground. His pack falling on top of him.

He wandered out of his room, not sure where he was headed. Maybe the battlements. He deserved a good slap on the face right about now. But as he passed by Jericho's open door, he stopped and looked back into it. On the old man's side table, the floor and… well, everywhere were scattered liquor bottles with varying amounts of alcohol inside. And Jericho himself was passed out on the ground, an empty bottle clutched in his hand. The dark skin of his shaved head reflecting light of the single bulb hanging in the centre of the room.

Wanting to know if the ex-raider was still alive or not, Elias nudged him a couple of times with his foot. When it didn't seem to do anything, Elias got down and shook him. "Jerry, wake up." He shook him a little more violently. "Jerry."

Retrieving a jug of water, Elias walked back in and dumped it on the man's head. Jericho immediately bolted upright, swinging wild punches with his eyes closed and face contorted into a lour. Realising he wasn't in any immediate danger and recognising Elias, he calmed down, slouching. "Here to yell at me again?" he asked as he collected one of the half empty bottles and downed the lot in one gulp.

"No," Elias said, taking one of his own. "I'm here to join you."

Jericho burst out laughing.

Elias ranted and ranted, his arms waved around so much that at one point he dropped the alcohol in his hand, the glass shattered on impact with the floor. Neither of them cared. After about an hour of Elias babbling and Jericho sitting there with an incredulous expression saying nothing, the former vault dweller finally finished and stood staring at the ex-raider.

"Well?" he asked.

"Well, what?" answered Jericho, one eyebrow raised and the other furrowed, contorting his face into a sort of confused frown that he had held since Elias started.

"Well, what do _you_ think?"

"Oh, now you care what I think, huh?" the ex-raider questioned rhetorically, rolling his eyes. "I think you're insane and everything you just told me is a load of brahminshit. Most of it is your fault."

His next retort reached the tip of his tongue, but it didn't leave and Elias took a moment to think before he spoke. It hit him like a speeding locomotive. He put his hands on his head and dropped onto Jericho's bed. "I can't believe how stupid I am!"

Jericho snorted. "I can."

"She's the only one that actually stayed and now I've probably pushed her away for good."

"Well, what the fuck are you still doing here? Go apologise to her, you dumbass."

Groaning, "For once, I think you may actually be right," Elias admitted.

"I'm always right." The man looked around for another bottle, found one, popped the cap and waved Elias off. "Now get the hell out and let me drink in peace."

After quickly cleaning himself up, he navigated through the labyrinth of the A and B wings, checked the laboratory, the courtyard, the nooks and crannies he would hide in, searching for Sarah but she was nowhere in sight. He really did fuck up this time.

Not too long later, Elias was at Elder Lyons' door. There to apologise, but mostly to find out where his daughter walked off to. He rapped his knuckles on the open door as he stood in the threshold, awkwardly scratching the nape of his neck. "Uh, excuse me, Elder?" The man looked up from his desk, lifting an inquisitive brow. "I want to apologise for earlier, I was out of line and you didn't deserve that."

Lyons placed the folder he had been looking over back on his desk and turned in his seat to face his guest. "I'm not going to say it's okay, but I understand you're going through a hard time and I accept your apology."

Man, he was too forgiving. Elias lowered his gaze, suddenly finding that little scratch on the floor _very_ interesting. "And I would also like to thank you for getting your daughter to show me around and try and comfort me and everything. It did – it _does –_ help."

Brow knitting together, the Elder shook his head slightly. "I never told her to do any of that."

"Oh." _Great, you're an even bigger asshole._ "Well do you know where she is? I think I owe her an apology." Elias shifted his weight from foot to foot, suddenly feeling self-conscious under the older man's gaze

Amused, Lyons answered, "She's probably in the Den's gym. That's where she spends most of her time." He then returned his attention to the one of thousands of files on his desk.

The Wanderer stepped into the Lyons Pride Den a few minutes later. A few of the members of Sarah's elite squadron were seated at the table in the middle of the room playing some card game together, another who Elias recognised as Vargas from his first encounter with the Brotherhood was at the kitchen preparing something. But Sarah herself wasn't present. They stopped and stared at him, most with an eyebrow raised but all had this identical knowing smirk on their faces.

Feeling the need to fill the silence, he cleared his throat and asked, "Uh, where is the gym?"

A couple of them exchanged glances between each other, smirks widening into grins. Vargas walked to the table and set a plate down in the centre. "Next door, buddy," he answered.

Elias nodded and ducked out, glad that was over. He took a deep breath to prepare himself, opened the door and moved a few paces inside the next room. The floor was blanketed with a thick foam matting, a row of three punching bags were hung from the ceiling towards the posterior wall, benches lined the walls either side of him, and racks of random equipment were shoved against the wall with the door he entered through. A boxing ring in the middle of the room.

And Sarah, she was currently busy beating the shit out of the bag in the centre, her back to him. It was the first time he had seen her out of uniform, she wore a simple tank top and shorts as she pounded into the punching bags, dancing around it in a semi-circle on the balls of her feet at the same time. He stared at her like it was the first time he had seen her. As if just noticing and just realising something…

* * *

 **Sarah's POV:**

Whenever she had any pent-up rage, she'd come here and take it out on the bags by smashing them by the knuckles with everything she had. Which usually ended up being every day. She struck with a flurry of jabs, crosses, hooks, palms, elbows, roundhouses, side, front and back kicks. Blocked phantom attacks with her forearms, shins, and fists. Ducking and weaving around the bag as if she were simulating a real hand to hand match.

Feeling her mouth begin to dry from her strenuous workout, she made one last move before she would rehydrate. Sarah jumped into the air, spun round, and with a grunt snapped her leg into the side of the bag by the shin.

On impact, the punching bag swung into the bag she kicked it into, then ricocheted like a bullet into the bag on the other side. They swayed into each other like a trembling sand sack pendulum as she walked off for her water bottle at the nearest bench. That's when she noticed him.

"Vault boy," she said, acknowledging his presence as she wiped sweat from her forehead with a towel and took a drink. Though she'd been in here working out for the last two hours, it did nothing to set her mind off him. Infuriatingly enough. He'd tossed away all her attempts at friendship, stomped on them, then lit them all on fire and watched them burn. At least, that's what it felt like.

"Soldier girl," he said back. She resisted the urge to grin at their stupid nicknames. There was a pause. "Are we even insulting each other?"

She turned away from him to drop her bottle back on the bench and hide the smile etched across her face. "No." Looking back at him, she watched Elias run a hand through his hair and waited for him to get onto whatever it was that he came here for. Probably to add something else to their argument because he hated that she got the last word in.

"I'm sorry… for being an asshole, for everything. I'm honestly surprised you haven't dragged me in here to beat the shit out me." _Not yet,_ she thought and crossed her arms, pulling her best impatient look. There was something else. He wanted something, she could tell.

"And?"

Seeming to know what she was implying, he continued, "And I would like you to train me." Her brow shot up. "My incompetence cost me my father… and others." Elias bowed his head, hating to admit it. "I don't want that to ever happen again."

Her expression softened and her arms nearly unfolded but she quickly adjusted herself and hid her empathy. She'd given him enough of that and he'd cast it aside like trash. "How long do you want me to train you for? A week?" she asked, still mulling it over. While it would certainly take a lot of time and effort, from what she'd seen of him so far, he had great potential. Potential for making a fine Brotherhood soldier one day, even if he was a little rough around the edges now. Sarah had expected the Wasteland to have swallowed up someone so ill-experienced in mere days, but he'd proved to surpass that and make it through looking relatively unharmed. Physically, that is. That wasn't something to overlook.

"As long as it takes," he asserted. That determined fire she saw when they first met had rekindled in his eyes.

With an exhale, she uncrossed her arms and let them fall to her sides. "If you're serious about this, you will follow all my orders without argument. I'll expect you to be on time. This will be hard work, but if you're just going to be whining, you best back out now."

Elias reached to her shoulder but she tensed and took a step back. He looked disappointed, bowing his head slightly as he retracted his hand, but she didn't care. "I-I won't let you down."

Turning around, Sarah headed to the equipment shelves and pulled out two pairs of gloves for them. "We'll start with the basics of hand to hand combat, let's see what you've got."

"Right now?"

Nodding once, "Here, chuck a pair of these on," said Sarah, tossing him a duo of boxing gloves. She herself preferred the boxing tape that she had currently had wrapped around her palms to her forearms but she slid on her own pair of gloves anyway. "We'll need them to make sure I don't bang up that pretty boy face of yours… too badly."

"In actual fact, the gloves were introduced into boxing not for safety reasons or to limit damage to any opponent, but to increase hits to the head and dramatic knockouts since they were designed to protect the wearers knuckles," he explained as he fixed on his second glove, his attention on that and not on her as she rolled her eyes at him. "And, oddly enough, boxing gloves are actually more dangerous, resulting in more deaths than bareknuckle boxing in the back when times." He looked up her and blushed slightly, stammering, "Wait… did you call me 'pretty boy'?"

Sarah ignored his last comment like she did with the rest of his smartass talk and hoped her face didn't heat up. If it did, it was because of her earlier training session… not him. She moved to the ring and bowed before ducking forward beneath the highest rope and stepping inside. "Bow before you enter. It's to show respect."

Stopping outside it, Hawke punched his gloved hands together and looked at her curiously. "Why? Is the ring god going to strike me down if I don't?" he asked but bowed and ducked inside anyway.

"Yeah, the Lord of the Rings."

A, small, almost unnoticeable smile, a _real_ smile, made an appearance on his face. But she'd need a microscope to be sure. It was the first she'd seen him smile since he arrived and it suited him much more than the scowl ever did. Sarah caught herself smiling back.

She raised her fists to her face, the glove on her right gently pressed against her cheek as her feet slid into a fighting stance. "Put 'em up, Vault Boy." A hint of a smirk played at her lips before she spun kicked at him, aiming for his cheek with the heel of her foot.

Elias barely had time to react, clumsily blocking and taking a step back as she spun forward this time in a consecutive kick. This one landed; the ball of her foot slamming into him. Elias grunted, stumbled a few paces into the ropes and grasped at the side of his face before staring at her in disbelief. Her smirk widened at one side for a split second before she was on him again with more punches and kicks, not bothering to hold back a bit.

Already exhausted, Elias jumped back to dodge a push kick. "Okay, I've never done this properly before, go easy on me."

 _Oh, I'm just getting warmed up._ Smirk broadening into a grin as she danced around him, "You can always back out," she commented dryly.

Grumbling, Elias brushed stray sweat-matted strands of hair out of his eyes and shrugged to loosen his shoulders. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I?" She snapped into the fight again, darting in and punching at him relentlessly. He couldn't evade or block the first ten (million) that flew at him but he gradually got into the rhythm of dodging and parried one by swatting her gloved hand from above, and attempted a punch in concession that hit her square in the face.

They both looked at each other shocked for a split second. His look of surprise transitioned into one of amused disbelief while hers wiped the smugness off her face and replaced it with a determined focus. _That was just a one off,_ Sarah thought to herself. She was done playing with him now, that annoyingly cocky smirk that spread across his face motivated her to make sure he went down. Hard.

With newfound smugness that he actually landed a hit against her, Elias mustered enough courage to attempt a roundhouse to her head. The sloppiness to his move made her smile, and with renewed vigour, she ducked low and extended one leg out with the other tucked beneath her, sweeping the only leg he had planted for support out from under him and sent him crashing to the ground on his back.

Using this to her advantage, she scrambled over and pinned him to the floor, straddling him, with her forearm pressed to his throat and the fist of her other arm back at her shoulder threatening to slam into his face. Her snide smirk slowly faded when she realised how close they were. Their faces literal inches from each other.

Elias raised his hands in surrender and chuckled to lighten the tension in the air. "Uh… looks like you got me."

Dazed, Sarah shook her head. "Right," she mumbled and leaned back, standing up and over him. She offered out a hand but he waved her off.

"I think I'll just lie here for a bit instead to catch my breath," he said breathlessly, his chest rising and falling heavily as he panted and gasped for air.

Planting her fists on her hips, Sarah said with a smile, " _Now_ I've beaten the shit out of you." She watched him glance up at the ceiling and grin before she then yawned. "Want to go for a round two before heading to bed?"

Elias turned his head towards her, his wide smile evanescing in exchange for a softer expression, and she caught a glimpse of his… enchanted look. She yanked her eyes away from him and her cheeks grew hot as she realised the sexual innuendo within her previous sentence. But before she could stutter out something unintelligible, he just smiled lightly and said, "Sure. Just give me a minute… or twenty." He was back to joking again. A good sign.

After a couple of minutes, they went at it again. Lyons stayed on the offensive. They traded blow after blow, his sloppy and inexperienced but it wasn't like hers were much better with how tired she felt. Her waning energy caused her to no longer care about technique nor power, instead focusing on releasing the stress and fury built up over the week. They were both just blowing off steam at this point. The two sparred until their faces burned, their arms throbbed and their legs trembled. Every muscle protesting. But she felt good. She felt better.

Elias eventually collapsed onto his ass and just sat there. "I'm going to wake up in the morning battered and bruised, aren't I?"

"That's the wasteland for you." Sarah collected her now empty water bottle and towel, slinging it over her shoulder and headed for the door. With the realisation that he hadn't moved, she spared a glance back at him. "Coming?"

"I think I'll stay behind, you go on ahead."

"What? Our rooms are right next to each other, c'mon, we could both use the rest." At her words, his gaze dropped to his fidgeting hands. Even though she wasn't the best at reading people, she could tell there was something wrong. "Are you… okay?"

His face was dead serious when he looked up at her again. "I'm… afraid of what I'll see… Maybe if I can get myself drunk, I won't remember any of it in the morning."

"No," she said, turning her whole body to face him, as if it were the most ridiculous idea in the world. "Don't be silly, go to bed."

"I can't."

"I can…" she began, "come with you if you want…?" The words left her lips before she could so much as think them through. There was a long pause, during which she inwardly admonished herself for such a suggestion.

"I'd… like that," he said at last.

"You would?" He stood up and offered an appreciative look. "Okay… let's go."

Once she made it to the door, she heard a soft, "Thank you" from behind.

"It's no problem."

"No really, for everything you've done. Especially just now, I needed that. To unleash a bit of rage and unwind. So… thanks."

She nodded, his words prompted her to look back at him over her shoulder. "I needed it too."

* * *

 **Elias' POV:**

They crossed back to their quarters together in relative silence of which was only sporadically punctured by the sound of Elias' still laboured breathing. They were the only ones walking the halls at this hour, except for the occasional half asleep Brotherhood sentry. The main lights were out, the only light seeped in from beneath the closed doors of illuminated rooms along the way.

"So," Elias cut through the quiet, his voice just above a whisper as to not disturb the sleeping souls in the rooms they walked by, "were you supposed to teach me some moves with that or was it just for me to learn not to fuck with you?"

He watched a smirk form upon her lips. "Both."

"Well, I learnt a –" before he could finish, another voice pierced through.

"Here I sit, in the safety of the Citadel, while the people of the Wasteland thirst, and suffer, and die." Before the sentence was completed, both Sarah and Elias had their shoulders pressed against either side of the door frame, facing inside the room the voice came from. Elder Lyons'. The door was slightly ajar and Sarah had the best view inside front her position, but Elias could still hear crystal clear. "Here I sit, a failed, feeble old man." Sarah and Elias exchanged a brief worried glance before returning their attention to the Elder. "What have I really accomplished? How many have I truly helped? The Supermutants still roam rampart. The people still die of thirst and radiation. The western Elders have cease to acknowledge my existence. Some of my own people have gone have gone outcast. And now… the Enclave. Technologically superior. Indefinitely resourceful…" Sarah's father stopped and a daunting silence fell for the weight of the old man's words to sink in. "Perhaps… perhaps the time has come to pass the mantle to more able hands. But… is she ready?"

There was a soft 'CLICK' followed by a heavy sigh.

Elias knew immediately who the Elder meant by that. He cast his gaze over to her, hoping to offer comfort or support but she was already gone. Disappearing down the hall and into her quarters.

 _Guess she's not coming with me after all…_

* * *

The next few sessions of training were much different from the first. As it progressed, those differences become more and more apparent. Sarah forgave no mistakes and tolerated no shortcomings from him. It was like a switch had been flipped in her - one minute she'd been compassionate and understanding, the next she was a full-blown hardass. That other side of her he'd managed to get a peek of; that bright, humorous and charming side was now replaced for a flat, cool and stern tone and attitude. She'd put her walls back up and had no intention of letting them down again.

She was distracted and distant. Elias knew the Elder's words from the night before were weighing heavy on her mind and now… Now, she was taking it out on him. _Just great._

He was undertaking the standard Brotherhood Initiate training course crammed into as little time as possible, which consisted of; basic hand to hand combat, energy weapon handling, ballistic weapon handling, survival tactics and stealth skills primarily. But currently, she had him stretch – which hurt, perform strengthening exercises like: pushups, pullups, jump roping and speed bag – which hurt more, and endure a ten-lap run of the courtyard – which killed. Even with Jericho's motivational insults driving him on from the sidelines, Elias had to drop out after the first few laps. Literally.

"Up!" he heard Sarah say to him. The words were harsh. Voice full and resonant. "You still have seven more laps to go. I've seen eighty-year-old's more fit than you."

He forced open his eyes, breathing hard, muscles quivering, and stared up at her from the ground he'd collapsed to. It did not seem possible to get up and keep going.

"Get up and get a move on! Do you want this or not?!"

Teeth clenched, "Yes," he grumbled. Elias rolled onto his stomach and shakily pushed himself up. As he continued his run, he dug his fingernails into his palms and focused all the frustration he felt at her on the exercise.

By well and truly the end of the day, he finally completed the tasks she'd set out for him. Since the achievement exhausted so much from him, he felt no satisfaction, he could barely stand. Fortunately, Sarah agreed to letting him off for a rare chance to rest. Once he dropped onto his ruffled sheets, he let sleep claim him. As soon as his eyes shut, they opened again – somehow it was morning, and he got up to repeat the day.

The Sentinel paired him up with one of the Initiates in training to spar with as she found he needed the most training in unarmed self-defence. The kid was only sixteen or seventeen years old. Elias took it as a personal offense, but it soon became clear they were much better shape than him when he lay beat up in the middle of the boxing ring out in the Citadel Courtyard for all to see.

"Hmph." Sarah folded her arms across her chest. "You lasted longer than I expected."

"Did you expect a millisecond? Because I went down in two instead."

"Never move back in a straight line; always move side to side." she said, circling the ring. "And never set long enough for your opponent to think about what to do. Now, get up and go again!"

 _Ugh_

Charon, at some point, even decided to watch, leaning up against the nearby shrivelled tree. Elias wasn't sure about his presence. The last time they spoke, it didn't end well. But he had to admit, his steely eyes boring into him was better than being dished out with every colourful bit of profanity Megaton had to offer from Jericho.

"But what if I'm facing a much larger opponent – like Charon?" asked Elias, nodding over at the ghoul, when he and Sarah went over his progress with the sparring and recapped on pointers.

"If size mattered that much," Charon cut in and stepped over the chain encasing the ring, "the elephant would've been the king of the jungle."

"What's an elephant?" Sarah inquired, sending quizzical looks between them.

"Elephants didn't live in jungles," Elias said to Charon.

"You know what I mean." The ghoul looked especially at the Sentinel when he said his next sentence, "The animal that _did_ become king was the lion."

Sarah's gaze lowered as her mind drifted into deep thought.

Sincerely baffled, Eli turned his full attention to the ghoul. "Lions didn't live in jungles either…"

If looks could kill, Elias would've dropped dead in an instant from the glare Charon sent him.

This continued on for the next few days to weeks. Some nights he'd get rest, the others would be plagued by nightmares that kept him up till morning. She taught him how to assemble and reassemble his guns, after going over it a few times, he finally got the hang of it. Knight Captain Gallows, the Pride's spec ops, taught him the ways around stealth and scouting, a skill he'd learnt the basics of himself already from sneaking around the vault and from hanging around Charon for as long as he had. Knight Captains Colvin and Dusk offered a few lessons in marksmanship, where he honed another skill he'd refined in the vault with the use of his own shooting range. Whilst Paladin Glade showed him a thing or two about his specialty - heavy ordinance, which Elias struggled with.

Over the course of it all, Elias felt another shift in his relationship with the Sentinel. They weren't exactly friends… _yet_ … but she had warmed to him more. And there'd be occasions where she let go of her steely professionalism and be her true self. Upon which, he had to admit, he enjoyed her presence most.

"What am I doing today, Soldier Girl?" Elias asked, falling in step beside her as they stalked up the stairs to the courtyard. _It better not be another million-mile run_.

"Target practise, Vault Boy."

This brought his spirits up and he allowed a little smile to form. They crossed the Citadel courtyard and strode over to one of the shooting lanes. Where he'd expected a couple of circle targets or bottles and cans, the Brotherhood had a trio of police-style silhouettes on draw pulleys backed by thickly padded boards.

By his gauge, they were set at a good fifty feet.

Sarah stopped just before the line, sent the targets a quick glance before turning her attention to him. "So, can you handle what you carry?"

"I'd say I'm an excellent shot."

"Let's put your shooting skills to the test then." She crossed her arms.

He jammed his fists on his hips. "You've already seen me shoot. And if I couldn't, do you really think I would've survived this long?"

"I think there's a reason you asked me to train you." She gave him a pointed stare. "Now show me what you've got."

In no mood to argue, Elias withdrew his N99 first. A fairly light and very lethal semiautomatic. It was a double action, fired whether the hammer was cocked or not. Recoil was pretty minor, but it still had that kick. He stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, distributing his weight. Both arms out, elbows locked and he leant his upper body forward. When he was satisfied with his stance, he tucked his head down to line up the sight with the target.

He fired six rounds without a flinch, then holstered the weapon before unshouldering _Lincoln's Repeater_ and did the same with that. The repeater was then shrugged back into its sheath and he cavalry drew the twin .50 Action Express Desert Eagles on either of his thighs – _Black Hawk_ and _White Eagle_ – that he got from his father, shot one after the other into his target before slipping them back.

The target was quickly, then after, pulled back in and the duo studied the grouping. All the shots were centre mass, in a tight, damn near perfect pattern. Elias offered the Sentinel a smug little half-grin.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," she conceded.

"I always figure if you carry, you'd better hit what you're aiming at."

"Nice Desert Eagles. Do you know how to use them both at the same time?"

"No. And I think I suit it this way. It leaves one hand free to perform rude gestures."

"I can respect that." Her gaze flicked from his face to over his shoulder and she nodded at the other rifle he had equipped. (Elias always carried all his main weapons around the Citadel, he didn't know if it was habitual or if he just didn't want to risk someone stealing them. Probably both) "What about that? Why didn't you fire it?"

The Wanderer turned his head, reached over and behind to grip and pull out A3-21. He stared at it in his hands before glancing up at her. "I don't have a clue how," he was forced to admit.

"Then how're you supposed to hit what you're aiming at?"

"I-I… Shut up." He tilted his head a fraction of an inch to the left. "Wait, did you just smile?" He didn't realise how much he missed the sight.

"It was probably a grimace."

"And another joke too? Any minute and you're going to slap on a party hat and dance on the table."

Sarah rolled her eyes and extended her arm out. "Pass it here." Following her order, he handed over the strange weapon and watched her eyes examine it, watched a crease form between her eyebrows as she frowned. "Where did you get this?"

 _An android._ "I found it."

"Fine. Be cryptic. This is a P49 Plasma Rifle. We-the Brotherhood only have one other model in possession."

 _Plasma?!_ "So, do you have any idea how it works?"

Hefting the rifle up so that the butt was pressed against her shoulder and the nozzle was aimed towards the targets, she answered, "I've fired it a few times."

"They let you fiddle around with the only available model? Is that a Sentinel privilege?"

Sarah averted her gaze. "I wouldn't say 'let'… I just nicked off with it when the scribes were arguing… once or twice."

He let out a hearty chuckle at that. She smiled back.

"Another grimace, eh?"

Ignoring him, "This will likely burn through these targets, let's move to a different lane," she said. But Sarah couldn't hide the thin smile on her face. She directed him over to a shooting lane the initiates were using that more suited his original expectation. It was merely a collection of bottles and cans upon cinderblock slabs backed by a wall of brick about seven or eight feet high.

The Sentinel sat herself down on a nearby stump and pried open a small hatch on the barrel, her frown darkened for a brief moment before her gloved fingers went to work rearranging the wires and mechanisms. Once she was satisfied, she slapped in a microfusion cell, made her way to the line of the range, slid her booted feet into a firm shooting stance and took aim with _A3-21._ "I think I remember…" Before Elias could stutter out a _"You think?",_ Sarah adjusted a few small switches and buttons on the barrel, squeezed the trigger and fired.

Monstrous masses of superheated green fire-like bolts were propelled off towards the bottle she had her sights locked on. As soon as it reached its target, the green plasma engulfed the glass bottle, melting it within a blink of an eye along with the block beneath.

"Holy shit."

She offered him a complacent look. "Your turn," she said and offered the rifle as well in a package deal.

Lining up his sights, Elias took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. Nothing. He pulled again. Nothing.

Sarah stepped up to him and flicked a little switch on the side, kept her hand there. "Hold the trigger down before you fire to charge it."

He took aim once more and followed her advice. Fired. Missed. The toroid scorched into the brick and ate away at it like fluoroantimonic acid, leaving a gooey green substance at the edges.

"Again."

Fired again. The plasma hit its mark on the back wall and dissolved the brick instantly. He grit his teeth, letting out a frustrated grunt. Embarrassment seized him; he hated to be fumbling in front of the Sentinel, especially with a skill he prided himself most on. Elias discharged off more toroids of plasma towards the bottles and cans, swapping targets when he missed and destroyed the brick or cinderblock instead.

"You make mistakes because you focus on the target and not your actions." Sarah said, eyes on the cobbled-together target range. "More squared, with your feet pointed at the target. Aim a little lower on the bottle."

Slowing down, Elias took a deep breath and adjusted himself according to Sarah's advice once more. When he blasted this time, it hit.

They smiled at each other.

Elias went at it till all the bottle targets were reduced to green goo.

"Guess you don't suck after all."

"Only a little," he said with a wink as he lowered the gun.

"Well, now you can clean this shit up," she gestured the slop of green goo at the end of the lane, "and make us a new range."

* * *

After running around collecting bricks, blocks and trash from piles of rubble outside the Citadel for rearranging a new shooting lane to replace the one he reduced to goo, Elias checked his Pip-Boy for the time.

Noon. It would be their lunch break now, where most gathered in the mess hall. Thinking he might be able to locate Sarah, he decided he'd join them for once.

"Where're you off to?" he asked once he found her.

"Lunch. As per usual."

"Mind if I tag along?"

She gave him a curious look. "Not at all."

As soon as they entered the hall, the already congregated members of the Lyons Pride waved at the Sentinel, gesturing her over.

Elias knew where she'd go so he dumped himself in the nearest empty diner-like booth, lowering his gaze glumly. He didn't exactly fit in with her Pride members and he didn't want to intrude. Besides, he'd kept up most of her time training him and she probably wanted a break from him anyway.

Sarah glanced back and forth between the table with her elite squadron and the booth Elias took his place at. Instead of moving to either, she walked off to a table with a lone boy. And his brief surge of hope that she'd sit with him whittled away just like that. She spoke a few words to the kid, a few seconds later he got up and they both came over to sit at the Wanderer's table, opposite him.

Confused, the Pride members all exchanged dumbfounded looks. Before Elias could so much as crack a smile at Sarah, her brethren hauled over their table and joined it with the booth's, shoving their way in.

It didn't take very long for them to whip away Sarah's attention and engage her in their group conversation that Elias took little interest in. So instead of joining them, he bitterly ostracised himself and kept his lips deliberately sealed, leaning his head against the wall and sighing.

His gaze flicked to the boy across from him Sarah had brought over, he noted he was doing the exact same thing. He wore a tattered blue police coat over his Brotherhood squire uniform instead of the usual black Elias has seen the other children adorned in.

"Why aren't you with the other squires?"

The boy looked up from the quiet nibbling of his sandwich, he brushed his dark hair out of his face and let out a timid cough. "Well… I-I," he averted his eyes, "they don't like me very much."

"Why not?"

"I-I don't know."

Elias leant forward. "You seem nervous. Do I make you nervous?"

"N-No, yes. It's just that we don't get many outsiders visiting the Citadel. I don't know you very well."

Elias nodded. "True enough. But trust me, I have no intention of causing you harm."

The squire nodded back.

He held his hand out over the table. "I'm Elias, by the way. Nice to meet you…"

Accepting his hand, "Arthur. My name's Arthur Maxson," he said as he shook.

"Maxson? Is there something significant about your family? I've heard the name a few times."

"Well, yes. I'm a descendant of Roger Maxson, the founder of the Brotherhood of Steel."

"Oh, so you're like royalty around here, huh? That must be nice."

"Not really. I'm not treated the same as everyone else, yes. But it's not all that good." Arthur turned his head to look over the recline of his seat at the groups of other squires. "I think my added privileges and obvious grooming for eldership in the future is a large part of why the others dislike me. I wish I was normal like them."

"So the Maxsons have a birthright as Elder?"

"Yes."

"This doesn't seem fair on you. You didn't choose to be born a Maxson," Elias said, somewhat sympathetic. "But I guess they'll change their minds once you're in charge, huh?"

"Maybe." Arthur bowed his head.

"Don't hold it against them. They're just jealous."

Elias and Arthur talked for a while longer before everyone finished lunch and began to disperse. The young squire offered to introduce him to his best friend and Elias followed along.

They entered the lab from the top most floor and stalked the catwalk to the centre of the room. Arthur directed him to a platform with a control panel before coming to a halt. Elias' confusing as to why he had brought him here diminished when his gaze swept upwards.

There, planted in the exact middle of the room with the catwalks running around it, was one enormous-ass robot. The head, which was directly facing him, resembled an arclight helmet with a blue-glass slit running horizontal across for its scanners.

Elias blinked and rubbed his eyes to make sure it was really there. He felt a little stupid for not having noticed it before.

"This is my best friend, Liberty Prime."

"Uh," Elias stammered, tilting his head with an eyebrow raised as he studied it, "t-that's nice."

The clanging of boots on the metal grating of the catwalks diverted Elias' attention, and he turned around to meet the tired eyes of Elder Lyons as he approached. "Ah, Elias Hawke, just the man I was after. I see you've been getting acquainted with young Arthur and our current primary project."

"You were looking for me?"

"Yes, I'd like to speak with you… in private."

* * *

"You've been a lot more smiley lately." The amused smile Elder Lyons sent him over his shoulder as he strode ahead prompted Elias to raise a brow.

 _They're forced_ , he thought. But with Sarah, they were so easy to force they were almost real. He didn't think he could laugh either, but she bought it out of him. It almost made him feel guilty. Like it was forbidden for him to find amusement anymore.

"I guess so, what did you want to see me about, Elder?" Elias asked as he stepped into the Brotherhood Council before him. All those expectant eyes of the heads of the Brotherhood pierced into him like blades.

"We'd like to discuss something with you," Lyons divulged, closing the door behind him and walking past Elias who decided to stick close to the walls to avoid as much attention as possible. Everyone remembered the last time Elias attended one of their meetings. "You know your title of 'Lone Wanderer'? The one Three Dog donned upon you?"

That got Elias to roll his eyes. "Yes."

The Elder reached his chair, turned to faced him. "We would like you to fully step into that role." Before Elias could say anything, Lyons continued, "We need someone – the _people need_ someone to lead this revolution against the Enclave's forces."

"Lead? I don't understand. Why can't you? Or Sentinel Sarah? Someone here?"

Lyons plopped himself in the seat, clasping his hands together as he leant forward. "Well it is true we lead the Brotherhood, we don't have that influence over the people of the Capital Wasteland." His grey gaze met with blue. "You, however, do. They know you. Everyone knows you. And they respect you. You've made a lot of waves in the recent weeks since your arrival, whether you know it or not."

Only able to let out a bunch of unintelligible stuttering gibberish, Elias shook his head as he tried to formulate some sort of reply to such a massive proposal. Of course what he'd already done wasn't enough. Everyone wanted more from him. "How… how long have you been planning this?"

"Since your arrival." The reply came from someone in the room that Elias couldn't be bothered to look at.

His eyes shut slowly and he ground his teeth. That gave him the answer to the question on his mind for days; _That's_ why Sarah agreed to host his training.

Another voice piped up, "And you have the perfect reason to seek vengeance against them as well, what with the Enclave invading your father's project and since they're the ones responsible for his death."

It hurt to be reminded once more, brutally, but he held on to the pain. One if the best parts about training was how great of a distraction it was, kept his mind off thinking about it.

Lyons spoke next. "What do you say?"

Elias' eyes opened to stare at Owen Lyons' haggard face and thick greying beard, to stare at the dozen other faces watching him. He could read the concern on them as they tried to gauge his emotional state.

He didn't know what to say except…

"I… I can't."

* * *

Expect Part 3 very soon...


	15. Chapter 13: The Lost Boy Part 3

**Inspired by Dishonoured 2 and some other things that have slipped my mind right now, haha**

 **Shoutouts: The Desert Dancer, Alexeij, TantrumNorseGospel, PaladinDelta, I Want To Die69, Alternative NonFiction, ShadowWolf007, Gungaeroth, and Cap'n Chow. Cap'n, this upload is for you :P**

 **So this day officially marks a year since I first posted chapter 1 of this story. And yes, I decided to update on the anniversary purposely. It's come a long way and I really appreciate all the support received. Huge thanks for that.**

* * *

 **Part 3-**

"I can't do this anymore."

And they were pushed right back to square one. Again.

Elias clenched his eyes closed and turned away for the door.

Using him, that's what they were doing. Well, he was using them too by leeching off them since he arrived. But that was beside the point. Making him some sort of poster child wasn't enough. They needed to take action.

"Who pissed in your sugar bombs _this_ morning?" A voice said as he stormed past.

Elias let out an exasperated breath. "The Brotherhood. The lot of them, this time."

Jericho crossed his arms and leaned his back against the wall, nodding once to indicate for him to elucidate. Charon next to him, arms by his sides, saying nothing.

He spun around for his whole body to face his two remaining companions as he spoke. "They want me as some sort of figurehead. To rally the people or some shit."

"And what'd you say?"

"That I won't do it. Action is what needs to be taken not-"

Jericho turned his head away, nodded once more before looking back at him and said with his voice the low rumble of a diesel engine, "You ever think that maybe they _are_ taking action? No? Because you haven't asked, you haven't been attending their war meetings, you haven't seen the solders marching in and out constantly, you haven't noticed the boost influx of Initiates being trained out there as you prance around with the Sentinel."

Completely rattled by the turn in conversation, "Whose side are you on?" Elias asked, brow knitting together. He looked to Charon, asking with his eyes for some sort of back up from the ghoul; but no word left his mouth. Elias pointed a hand back at the way he came, in the direction of the meeting room. "They want to take advantage of me. I just lost my father, I just lost everything and now they decide to drop this on me."

"You think you're the only one who's lost everything? You're not. Everyone loses everything out here. The sooner you realise that, the sooner you can finally grow the fuck up." Jericho didn't say his words with any particular malice to them – quite the contrary, his words were very matter-of-fact. Even still, Elias' mouth dropped in shock.

With that, the ex-raider gave him one last long look before moving on, as did Charon who stayed an extra second for that overwhelming surge of betrayal to finally sink in.

Alone.

He was completely and utterly alone. Just like he had been the moment he stepped out into the Capital Wasteland for the time. Just like he had been his entire life.

Elias stared after them, eyes glued to their backs as they retreated down the hall. He took in a deep breath before walking the next few steps to his quarters. He shut the door with both hands and kept them there for a while long after it was closed. His eyelids slid closed as well and gently, his forehead made contact with the back of the door.

"What am I going to do?" he whispered to the wall. Because he really had no clue.

* * *

The following day, Elias found himself still in the Citadel surprisingly. Sentinel Sarah Lyons forced him to pay a visit to Paladin Gunny. The Brotherhood's initiate trainer that turned boys into men, girls into women, initiates into knights – well, at least according to Sarah. Elias had seen and heard the way he worked and absolutely dreaded the man.

Thankfully, he was only in there to learn to motor power armour then he was out.

"Alright listen up you brahminshit-eating maggots, this is the day you've been working towards your entire pitiful lives!" Gunny spouted as he marched in front of a row of shuddering Brotherhood Initiates, hands interlocked behind his back. "Your asses are going to be walking in power armour."

Elias wanted to stop as Sarah led him over, but didn't. Instead, his legs carried him directly to him.

The Sentinel extended her arm to gesture Elias. "Got room for one more?"

With a firm nod, Gunny saluted in that Brotherhood of Steel way with one fist to the chest and Sarah, soon after, left him there like a child at day-care.

Once she was out of earshot, the Paladin eyed the newbie in a scrutinizing once over. "Hmph. I'll allow you to join on Elder Lyons orders but that doesn't mean I have to like it." Gunny stepped right into Elias' personal space bubble and glared face to face, looking down at him since he was taller in his power armour. "The rest of these kids sweat blood to earn their training and you just get a free pass? It's far from fair. I will make sure you work just as hard, if not, _harder_ than them today. Is that clear?"

Elias sees himself through the older man's eyes. An immature, impulsive nineteen-year-old boy. Dishevelled. Undisciplined. Recuperating. Not a soldier, and hardly someone who deserves to be one.

"Did you hear me, boy?" Gunny questioned, jabbing a finger at Elias' chest when he didn't answer. "Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?" He prodded with his index in sync with each syllable he uttered.

"Yes, sir."

When Gunny was done barking instructions and insults for the time being, they finally scored a chance to suit up.

Elias clenched and unclenched both of his metal-plated hands, turned his head either side and took a few stomping steps in the T-45 model. His grin stretched ear to ear behind the visor of the helm as he marvelled at how badass he must look from the outside. If only those petulant security guards in their Kevlar and Plexiglas could see him now.

He went over all the basic manoeuvrers to perform; how to exit, how to remove the helmet and put it back on again, the safety eject, how to access the different features, how to bring up the monitor of his vitals, how to use and speak through the com. Then the next day they went out into the field to practise in combat with a follow up of repair and maintenance of the suits.

Elias ran through all the techniques he was taught repeatedly for a full two weeks before reaching the level of proficiency Sentinel Lyons expected. By the end of it all, Elias didn't know if he'd ever felt more tired than he did now in his entire life. He'd never had to do anything like this ever in his life in Vault 101.

His thoughts drifted back there. To the vault. He wondered about everything he left behind that day. How was Amata holding up? What was going on there? Had the riling chaos that ensued his father's departure, and no doubt his as well, died down by now or escalated? It had been a few months that he'd been gone, but it felt more like a lifetime ago.

It was funny to him, in some sick sad way. What was he doing before all this? Pretending to listen during his father's med lessons, waiting for the next chance to get free and sneak into the lower levels to get away from everyone. Well, now he was free. Now he was away.

If only he could go back…

* * *

 **Sarah's POV:**

As the rest of the Citadel bustled with soldiers in power armour back and forth past her room, Sentinel Sarah Lyons wished for excitement.

Something other than skimming through reports, data logs, finance files and updates. Of course, she'd been kept busy with her coaching of Elias and the occasional sweep with the Pride of the surrounding area to clean up stray frankensteins or, more recently, Enclave soldiers. But this, this had to be the most banal part of her job. How in the nuked-to-shit world her father could keep this up every day was beyond her.

"It's practise." He had said. Practise as Elder. After this… she wasn't so sure she even wanted to be Elder anymore.

She stared at the writing on the terminal screen till her eyes throbbed. Scrubbing her face with both hands, she blinked numerous times before sighing and collapsing in the desk chair.

She always knew this was coming. In the same case with young Arthur; she was being groomed for the position since she could walk.

Then her mind shifted to those words she overheard her father say weeks ago. They rang through her mind clear as day, as if she only heard them five minutes ago. _'perhaps the time has come to pass the mantle to more able hands. But… is she ready?'_ No, she sure as hell wasn't ready! What was she supposed to do if her father just shoved all that responsibility into her hands for her to carry on her shoulders? She couldn't handle it, she knew that. She wasn't ready for this.

Sarah's eyes cast themselves on the numerous files dumped on her desk and she shook her head. She needed a distraction right now, stressing herself out wasn't doing her any favours, and the only one else up at this hour would be Hawke. The night owl.

As soon as she took her first step out into the hall, it caught her ears, _"My son, I wish you the strength to face challenges with confidence… along with the wisdom to choose your battles carefully… I wish you adventure on your journey and may you always stop to help someone along the way… listen to your heart and take risks carefully… Remember how much you are loved, I am so proud of you."_ By the second sentence, she had already reached Elias' door. She saw him there, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at his pip-boy unblinking.

"I failed you…" his voice was barely audible. He looked so… hopeless. Over the course of the month he'd been at the Citadel, he'd bounced back and forth between sickeningly light-hearted to angry and spiteful then, like now, to lethargic and hopeless. She didn't know what to say, but she hoped he knew she was there. Maybe they could both use a distraction.

Elias turned his head and his eyes flashed when he noticed her, he was quick to his feet. "Sarah… I-I didn't see you." His surprise quickly gave way to a small forced smile. "Here to set me up with fifty more drills?"

"No," she answered with a slight chuckle and moved inside the room. "I've gone over all you need to know. There isn't any more to teach." Crossing her arms, Sarah leaned back against the wall in front of him. "You still suck, but not as much as the average raider so you might win if you went toe to toe. Practise enough until it becomes instinctual and you may actually pose a formidable opponent."

Switching off his wrist device, Elias let his arms fall to his sides. "That has to be the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Can't sleep either?"

"No, I've got too much on my mind." She pushed off the wall and stood properly. "I want to show you something, follow me."

Sarah knew he visited the battlements often, as did she, but he hadn't seemed to find her spot. Few did. Only a couple of the other Pride members knew of it and each of them acknowledged that it was hers. Her favourite place to think and kill muties through a scope.

They climbed the staircase to the top, the two of them, and made their way to a particular point on the Citadels rooftops after Sarah's lead. Out ahead, across from the irradiated water of the Potomac and upon the bridge, the blue electric borders set up by the government remnant to block trespassers stepping anywhere near the Purifier gleamed at the duo in an almost taunting way.

The Sentinel lay herself flat on the ramparts and she took her aim down the sights of a sniper rifle she collected on the way from the bailey, lining her sight on the active pylons. Maybe she'd even catch a few Enclave soldiers with their pants down today.

"Nice view," Elias said as he sat beside her, back against the railing. Averting her attention from her scope, she gave him a particularly unamused look that he returned with an earnest shrug. "I was talking about the water."

Rolling her eyes, "Right," she muttered. "So, tell me, why did you even ask for training in the first place?"

His answer wasn't immediate, silence dominated in between each bang of the sniper before he spoke. "My survival, so far, has been reliant on other people… I'd like to move away from that, become independent. Fight my own battles."

Taking in his words, she gave the matter some thought before she was ready to reply. "Other people… that's how _everyone_ survives. People helping people, each other. It's how the Brotherhood strives." It's how _she_ strived, with her Pride.

"I don't want to _have_ to _rely_ on others, I want to be able to survive by myself if need be."

She stared at him, her attention gathered at his eyes. "I understand. Not many can make it out here alone, I hope what we've taught you here pays off."

"Me too."

Their conversation descended into silence once more – apart from the swish of water and wind. Sarah pushed herself up, pressed back against the railing beside him and crossed her legs.

"So, tell me about the vault," she changed the subject.

"It was… much easier. Simpler. Than all this." He spread his arms, gestured the wasteland. "God… me and Amata would go on about the outside for hours… but it's nothing like we ever imagined."

"Is she… your girlfriend?"

"No," he answered immediately. "I mean… well, it's complicated. She was my best friend _and_ first major crush." A small nostalgic smile touched his face. He glanced back at her. "I never started anything with her though."

"Why not?"

"First of all, I didn't know if she even reciprocated such feelings and second… her dad. He was acting Overseer, guy that runs the place. He loathed me as a child for no reason so I gave that fucker a reason… or a _lot_ of reasons… He only hated me more after that." The impish smile on his face widened in a fully-fledged grin.

With a shake of her head, Sarah laughed.

"It was just me and my father…" He chewed the inside of his cheek. "My mother, well you asked about her before but I was short with you." He proceeded to explain that he wasn't born down there, his mother's passing shortly after childbirth and his father's haste to Vault 101. "What about your mother… May I ask about her?" he said a while after he was done, his words hesitant as if he wasn't sure it was his place to ask. She decided to be up front with him since he'd been so forthcoming with her.

"You just did. I grew up without her." Her eyes were glued to the enchanting way the Potomac swayed and shimmered beneath the moonlight. "I hate to admit it but…" She bowed her head, "… I have trouble… I can barely remember her face." Her gaze flicked back to him, studying him, searching for his reaction. "Is that bad?"

"No, it's understandable." Elias looked back to the water. "At least you got to _see_ her face. I never even met my mother."

"I tell myself she's watching over me. It helps."

"What rank was she?"

"I don't-" she paused and looked away, "I'm not sure." Anything related to her mother, her father could never bring himself to say and Sarah knew better than to bring it up.

Elias didn't respond for a few moments, perhaps too deep in thought. "Do you think she would have been Sentinel like you?"

"I like to think so, yeah. But she could've been a scribe, for all I know."

"Well I know she'd be proud that _you_ reached that rank. Even if," he nudged her with his elbow and sent her one of his trademark shit-eating grins, "you got a little extra credit thanks to your father."

 _Sentinel of the Eastern Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel…_ she thought. That title was impressive in its own right but many figured she only got to such a high rank because of her father being Elder. Elias was joking, she knew that, but she also knew the thought was common among the rest of the Brotherhood. And it was believed too. Though it was true she usually got what she wanted, Sarah didn't consider herself spoiled. She worked hard for everything she strived for and earned as much as she was given.

Though most of her effort was in trying to make her father proud and living up to the high and nearly impossible expectations weighted on a child of any high ranking officer – let alone Elder, she deserved her position. Most only saw her success and happen to conveniently look past all the hard work, the risks, the late nights, the struggles, the failures, the persistence, the action, the discipline, the courage, the looming doubts, the criticism, the disappointments, the adversity, the rejections and all the sacrifices. It wasn't easy but damn was it worth it.

"I did not!" Sarah feigned offense and shoved him gently with one hand which only made him laugh. "Trust me, the only privilege I gain from it is an extra scoop of ice-cream on Fridays," she joked.

"And you're saying that's a bad thing?" He grinned.

Smiling back, "Of course not," she replied.

Seconds ticked by into minutes, she wasn't sure what time it was but they'd definitely been up here for at least a couple of hours and her lack of sleep was beginning to catch up with her as she felt her eyelids droop. But she didn't want to go back...

Not completely sure what she was thinking, maybe her mind was too focused on rest, she yawned and slowly let her head rest on his shoulder. Initially, he tensed up as if someone had just dropped an ice cube down the back of his shirt before eventually she felt him relax against her. They stayed there like that, watching and listening to the water leaning against each other.

When her eyes, at last, closed, he was right beside her. When they opened, he was gone.

* * *

 **A\N: And that, my friends, brings Chapter 13 to a close. It'd be too bulky to merge as one update and no one wants to read a zillion words at once, right?**

 **So, as you've probably gathered already, this is going to be a Sarah Lyons** \ **Lone Wanderer fanfic. Yes, I'm fully aware of how cliché it's become from every other Fallout Fanfiction author under the sun doing the same\have already done it, but there's a reason everyone does. We love it. I promise I'll make it as fresh and exiting as possible ;)**

 **Next Chapter will be out soon.**


	16. Chapter 14: Trouble on the Homefront

**Inspiration: Basically just everyone elses takes on the Trouble on the Homefront quest combined into one.**

 **Got some inspiration from coastierks' Rise of the Lone Wanderer which I highly recommend checking out.**

 **Shout outs: Alexeij, I Want To Die69, The Desert Dancer, Mandalore the Freedom, TantrumNorseGospel, Alternative NonFiction, Sergeant Lawson, Paladin Delta, Reaperghostrider, Skater100, Guest of Aug 4th. A big thanks goes out to you guys for taking the time to leave your thoughts. Much obliged. :D**

 **And who the f is Messagenger777? It's really infuriating when you leave spam like that and I can't remove it so just don't.**

 **So, moving on, I've been away on a camp thing for a while so I've been a bit inactive on here in that time but now I'm back with another chap! Elias returns to Vault 101, but what lies in store for him when he arrives...**

* * *

Chapter 14: Trouble on the Homefront

 **Elias' POV:**

It was in the early hours of the morning when the signal reached his position. His Pip-boy dinged with the beep of a notification, waking him and slightly rousing the sleeping Sentinel resting against him. When he tapped it, the title 'Vault 101' caught his immediate attention, sent his brow up and made his eyes dilate.

As carefully as he could as to not wake Sarah, Elias shimmied away and lulled her head to rest against the railing instead of his shoulder. When he was satisfied that she was in a comfortable enough position, he walked a few steps away and whistled for Dogmeat. Not too long later, the hound came running.

"I'm going to need you to fetch me a pillow and blanket. Can you do that for me, buddy?" he asked his dog who seemed to nod his head as he wagged his tail. "Pillow and blanket, fetch!"

As Dogmeat raced off, Elias switched over to the radio frequency the message was being transmitted on and paced along the ramparts as he listened. When Amata's voice came through his speakers it gave him an odd sort of comfort to hear it after so long being away, but the words she spoke only washed another wave of anxiety over him and a frown creased his forehead.

 _Shit…_ She sounded as if she was practically begging for him to return. Her voice wavered in such a needful way that so uncharacteristic of Amata, she never needed anyone. She was raised to exhibit composure even in the most averse of situations. Her father was a politician, after all. They must be in some deep shit for her to be this panicked.

Dogmeat, being the clever little guy that he was, retrieved the items Elias requested and darted back to drop them at his owner's feet, earning himself a rub behind the ears, scratch under the chin and commendation of the words, "Good boy, good boy!"

Elias then sat the pillow beneath the Sentinel's head and draped the blanket over her sleeping form.

 _See you around, Solider Girl_ he thought, and gave her one last wistful look before heading down the steps and towards the gates of the Citadel with his hound in tow.

It was time to go home…

* * *

The slow ascent of the sun on the horizon as the Wanderer drew near the shithole of Megaton meant that dawn had broke.

Elias slowed his steady jog to a walk, resting his hands just above his knees and glanced behind him as he tried to catch his breath. Having run all the way from the Citadel to where he was now - only pausing occasionally for water breaks - he was well past winded. All that training had paid off for his cardio though.

That would also mean Sarah was probably awake by now. A twinge of guilt throbbed in his gut, he felt a little bad for leaving her like that. He wished he could've stayed and basked in the moment for as long as possible.

He looked back to his path ahead, the top of Megaton's wall peaking over the rocks his boots trekked across.

But Amata needed him right now and like hell was he about to brush aside his dearest friend.

Glancing over at Dogmeat, his faithful companion who was also out of breath, panting with his tongue out, "We're almost there, Buddy," he said and withdrew a water bottle from his backpack, offering it to the hound.

He had already decided to make a pitstop at the house Simms offered him before he headed for the vault to clean himself up somewhat. The self-grooming would be meaningless. Dirt was unavoidable in the Wastes, it was a sun screen, an ointment, a skin tone all on its own. But Elias didn't want to look as if he'd just dug himself out of a grave when he showed up. So the former vault dweller kept pace towards Megaton.

If only the town wasn't overrun with Enclave…

"Halt, wastelander!" Somebody called to him as he closed in on the back wall of Megaton, about to follow around the side toward the entrance. He turned to meet a man in Brotherhood of Steel recon armour, the gear used by their scouts. "Megaton has been invaded by Enclave troopers like most of the other settlements in the Capital, I would not suggest heading inside unless you want to be herded like Brahmin with the rest of the settlers."

"What?" Shocked, Elias looked back at the wall. _What the hell is going on…?_

The scout's eyes flickered to the 101 on Hawke's collar. Something clicked in his mind. "Wait… are you the Lone Wanderer?"

Elias took a deep breath at the question. "I guess, yeah."

 _I wish I wasn't._

"Good. We could use your help." Before he could ask about the scout's use of the plural 'we', another six soldiers also in plated recon armour emerged from behind the rocks. "I'm Knight Captain Richards and we're the Brotherhood's spec ops. The Elder has tasked us with keeping tabs on the Enclave squad that landed here. We've spotted about ten to twelve of them, seem to think they're the overlords of all the civilians inside." The scout spat at the ground besides his feet. "Bastards."

"Are you planning to lay siege against these bastards?" Elias inquired, knowing he would do it alone if they weren't up to assist him. "We can't allow them to tyrant over the people of Megaton."

"Yes, that's just what I was about to ask of you." Richards dropped to one knee and used a nearby jagged stick to trace a rough outline of the settlement from a bird's eye view. "We've memorised their guard shifts and found a hole in the wall big enough for us all to squeeze through, that's our entry."

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

After rehashing over the plan the Brotherhood of Steel recon soldiers had constructed, scribbling notes, maps and paths to remember in the dirt, they followed through and all snuck inside through the hole in the metal-sheeted wall. Entering the city.

It was a stealth mission, which Elias held no objection to, therefor they brought down each of the guards posted on the wall silently without raising the alarm. Then scuttled around and made quick work of the rest outside along the outskirts of town before disposing of those inside the ramshackle buildings.

The special operatives of the Brotherhood informed him that the best way to stealthily kill someone in power armour was to remove the fusion core from behind, forcing the wearer to exit it and then killing them once they've stepped outside it.

He made his way over to his house where two Enclave soldiers had decided to get comfortable in his absence. Tinkering with a green Mr Gutsy robot in the centre of the living room.

Elias kicked down his door.

"Get the fuck out of my house!"

And two whizzes of plasma burst from _A3-21_ and turned the duo where left with sizzling holes in their torsos.

A larger group of them were congregated in the centre of town by the bomb where they'd landed their vertibird, watching over as their commanding officer addressed the crowd of Megaton settlers. Elias could spy a few of the nicer citizens within: Lucas, Jenny, Leo, Gob. All holding this identical scowl that matched the faces of those around them.

Elias removed the closest soldiers from the equation and the spec ops did the same, nobody noticing that no one was operating the immobile suits of Enclave armour around them, before he joined the crowd and flowed through. Moving to the front where the officer and his two flanking guards stood upon the platform outside Burke's old house - being used as a stage.

 _Stabhappy_ was tainted with the Enclave officer's blood and two well-placed shots from the spec ops behind Elias nailed his brutes through the fibre-glass of their power helmets.

As the Officer dropped into Elias' place in front of the stage, the Wanderer stepped up to take his. Turning to face the crowd. "My name is Elias Hawke, but most of you know me as the Lone Wanderer." He gestured the city of Megaton. "The Enclave soldiers are gone, for now. You're free to go back to your homes. But I need you all to be armed and ready in the case of retaliation."

The crowd eventually dispersed and Elias met up with Knight Richards and the other soldiers. They transported all the Enclave suits of armour to the vertibird and stowed them inside as two spec operatives tried to figure out the controls to get the aircraft airborne. And Elias was pulled aside by Lucas Simms who informed him that Burke, in all the confusion of the Enclave's landing, had somehow escape and nicked off.

Too tired to care, Elias moved off to his home.

The retaking of Megaton stole a few hours out of his day and waned his already limited energy so he decided to get some sleep in his house.

When he awoke, he left for the vault.

* * *

Vault 101's blast door screeched as it was yanked backwards and rolled to the side, the siren inside wailed to announce his arrival. As both blared into his ears, Elias couldn't tell which was louder.

Elias had returned…

 _Home sweet home_

Eyes scanning the darkness inside the entrance way, Elias slowly stepped by the blast door and into the vault, _Lincoln's Repeater_ at the ready in case security barged in for an ambush. Dogmeat's paws pattered in right behind him.

The confusing blend of trepidation and joy welled inside him, similar to that he felt when first entering Vault 112 in search of his father. He knew the other residents probably didn't think too highly of him right now and the Overseer would be out for his head, but beyond this door was his best friend whom he hadn't seen in months. And Elias could barely contain the elation he felt at the thought of being with her again.

That all too familiar chill of the cool air that circulated the vault reached him, prickling the skin of his exposed forearm and curling itself around his neck and ears. All those memories of his years growing up here flooded his mind at the sensation.

He stayed at the entranceway for a few moments, taking it all in. The room looked as if a Supermutant had gone full rage-mode and smashed everything in sight. That desk he remembered Amata using to barricade the door, upturned and shoved down the few stairs before him. Two halves of a splintered baseball bat dropped on top. Whilst other random assortments of trash and shrapnel littered the floor.

The stairs he climbed with three slow steps only to be greeted by the corpses of two of his former neighbours, slouched against the wall. It would be easy to mistake them as being asleep. But upon closer inspection, he could see the bullet holes, far too many to count, welted through the blue of their jumpsuits and leaving crimson red stains. Jim Wilkins and Steve Armstrong. Elias hadn't been particularly close with either, they were a few years older and ran with a different crowd but it still hurt to see them this way. Killed and left behind to rot.

The vault dwellers had turned against each other and were killing themselves.

He rose from his haunches as his frown deepened, and his fingers gripped the repeater tighter. His mind ran wild with a myriad of thoughts. Security were the only ones with access to firearms, so had they turned their weapons on and begun killing civilians? Amata warned him that the Overseer had gone crazy, but Elias would never have imagined that the Vault had plummeted to such lengths of violence. The population was already concerningly low as it was. They didn't need to thin it out further.

 _What the hell happened here?_ He shook his head. _What the hell happened in the Capital Wastes?_ It was like he'd took a second to blink and then all hell broke loose around him.

He continued onwards, holding his rifle out in front of him. He'd been expecting a hail of gunfire upon him as soon as he opened the blast door, not for the vault dwellers to be shooting at each other.

True to his original prediction, once he made it through the first door a gun was held to his head.

"Hold it right there!"

Instinct kicked in and Elias, in a blur, let go of the repeater with his left hand, took hold of the N99 inches away from his temple from beneath and pushed it upwards away from his head, waited a second for the bang of the bullet then twisted it out of his assailant's grasp. He flipped it around in his hand in one swift motion so that he held it at the grip, nozzle facing whoever pointed it at him in the first place.

It was clearly a security officer by the weapon, but it was confirmed when Elias looked upon the man, sporting the security Kevlar vest and visored helm. The man slowly held his hands up. "I don't know who you are or how you got that door open, but…"

Elias' face flashed with shock when he recognised the man behind the visor and he immediately handed the gun back over. "Officer Gomez, it's me, Elias."

"It _is_ you." Gomez accepted his handgun and slipped it back into his holster as he studied Elias. "Your hair's grown out a bit longer than usual and you're covered in so much dirt and grime, plus you've got some strange armour on, I barely recognised you." He smiled genuinely. The officer was always kind to him because Elias was just about the only friend his socially awkward son, Freddie, had.

Following suit, Elias hung the strap of _Lincoln's Repeater_ over his shoulder and offered a small smile back, but it faded when he said his next few words, "What's been going on here? There's corpses just behind this door."

The smile also left Gomez's face as he sighed. "Let's bring you up to speed since it's been such a mighty long time since you've been gone." He gripped either side of his belt with both hands. "That night, uh… you and your dad left, everything went crazy. Between the bugs and the confusion, we lost a lot of people."

A sullen look climbed onto Elias' face as he visualised the aftermath of his departure.

Gomez continued, "This whole area is off-limits now after that whole ordeal. Security found those two lurking by the door. Figured they were trying to escape."

Elias glanced behind him at the two corpses. "Wow, so even being near the vault blast door is considered a capital offense now?"

"Mm-hmm," he hummed in agreement. "If it were me, I would've just locked them up in a cell, but unfortunately I wasn't the one who found them. It's been pretty brutal."

"God… my father would be horrified to hear all this." Elias shook his head. "If… he were still around, that is."

"Ah, I'm… sorry to hear. James was my friend." Gomez's expression dropped and gaze found the floor as his face twisted into a frown. "No matter what happened that day, your father was a good man. I always figured he'd be the type to survive out there." The officer looked up. "In fact, a lot of people down here are beginning to think he had the right idea. He usually did. So if he could make it out there, maybe so could we. Why stay down here forever?" The way he said the words was peculiar, as if he believed them himself.

"I doubt the Overseer took too kindly to that way of thinking."

"Well, you're right on that account. He didn't like it one bit. He doubled security, set curfews and outlawed this area of the vault. I don't think he anticipated people to rebel, and he certainly wasn't expecting you to come back."

Elias nodded in thought. "Whereabouts is Amata? I need to talk to her," he said, changing the subject.

"The rebels have been using the clinic as their base of operations. Amata is at the forefront of it all, so she'll likely be there. I'll escort you to her otherwise security will probably shoot you on sight."

"For all the good that will do," Elias said, adjusting the strap of _Lincoln's Repeater_. His voice came out colder than he would've liked.

Herman Gomez flicked his eyes down at the arsenal of guns Elias carried and then back up to meet his gaze, he nervously gulped and turned to walk the steps to the Atrium.

Wordlessly, Elias followed. Dogmeat at his heels.

Even in the short hallway at the end of the staircase, the disarray ensuing this little vault civil war was obvious by the piles of dirt and junk that coated the floor and the graffiti that painted the walls. Even some poor child's tricycle had been left there. It was as if they left the vault door open too long and the wasteland suddenly blew in.

"Best be careful. A lot's changed since you left," Gomez warned from over his shoulder.

"I can already tell."

Behind the door to the Atrium was another security officer. Elias tightened the grip on the strap of his rifle, more than ready to whip it into action. It was Officer Taylor, behind a table flipped on its side for cover, his own weapon aimed at one of the Tunnel Snakes. When Elias squinted, he realised it was Freddie Gomez.

 _Oh great, even he's joined up with those morons?_

Freddie was surprisingly taunting the seasoned officer and Taylor actually fired at him.

Herman immediately intervened, pushing Officer Taylor's arms down. "Stop shooting, dammit! That's my boy you nearly hit!"

The old man turned to him, visibly shaken. "I-I didn't mean to shoot, I swear! He just had a knife and I panicked. Ya' can't be too careful with those rebels."

"Doesn't mean you can just fire on any one of them you like. Am I going to need to confiscate your weapon?"

Taylor held the 10 mm to his chest like it was lunch money he was protecting from a bully. "But then I'll be defenceless if they attack!"

"Is everyone this goddam paranoid?" Elias asked, coming up side them.

"You!" Officer Taylor sneered, just noticing the former vault dweller. "All this is your fault. I ought to report you to the Overseer!"

"Calm down, Alfred."

He pointed a shaky finger at Elias' face. "No, this little shit is the reason my poor Agnes is dead."

"Alfred…" Gomez sighed, admonitory.

"What? It's true! With all the commotion that night, she just couldn't take it and her heart gave out. Now he's back to rub it all in my face."

Being blamed by the vault dwellers was expected, but Taylor's accusation still stung. "I'm not here to cause trouble, I'm going to help."

Officer Taylor rolled his eyes and scoffed. "We don't need your 'help'. Everybody down here hates your guts. You won't make it ten minutes before someone guns you down." And the old man smiled at the thought.

Giving up, Elias let out a deep breath and continued, into the Atrium.

He glanced up at the propaganda sign above the Eye that used to say 'Thank you, Overseer', now, with the first word spray painted over, it said 'Fuck you, Overseer'. Elias gazed through the glass window for the man as he walked, but didn't see him.

Officer Gomez fell in step beside him. "I guess you can see how bad things have gotten down here." When Elias nodded, he continued, "Listen, it would be best to wrap up whatever business you have here quickly. I hear the other guards are planning a raid in a few days. I'd like you to make sure Freddie knows. We haven't seen eye to eye on this whole affair, but I still want him safe."

Elias returned the warm smile Herman sent. "Count on it."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, he bumped shoulders with Security Chief Hannon. "Oh look, the bad seed is back," the man muttered snidely as he walked off, barely sparing the former vaultie a glance.

Once Elias had stepped into the wing where the clinic and classroom were located, he was intercepted by none other than Butch DeLoria. Switchblade, greasy pompadour hair, and that awful leather jacket Elias despised almost as much as Butch himself.

"Damn… Look who clawed himself back in." Butch half-grinned. "Nice to see you again, Nosebleed."

Elias rolled his eyes at the nickname he'd earned himself when he was 12. How was in the name. Butch didn't seem hostile, so Elias brushed past him before his trigger-finger started itching.

He quickly checked inside the classroom for Amata only to recognise Christine Kendal, Freddie Gomez and Susie Mack. Elias was about to spin round and walk right out at the sight of Christine since he'd shot her father in the leg during his escape of the vault those months ago, but she didn't seem to bear any ill will towards him, offering a small smile upon noticing him. Susie, on the other hand, walked over to him as if trying to determine whether or not it was him before running and glomping on him.

"You're alive!"

Elias stumbled backwards a few steps from the suddenness of the hug but awkwardly embraced the blond back. Wholesomely confused.

Once she drew back, he chuckled, a little embarrassed. "I thought you hated me?"

Susie's brow drew together. "What?" She shook her head at both him and the lunacy of the idea. "Why would I hate you?"

He thought back to all those times she told him to piss off, that they weren't friends, that they'd never be friends. "I… don't know?" he offered pathetically.

"You dork." Grinning, she stepped away fully. "Glad you're back, we could use your help."

"That's why I'm here." When Freddie ambled over as well, Elias turned his attention to him. "Well, well if it isn't Freddie the Freak."

Fred folded his arms across his chest as he rolled his eyes but there was that glint of amusement in his eye. "You better shut up about that or I'll start calling you Emo Eli."

That brought a hearty chuckle out of Elias. "Good to see you again, Freddie." He nodded to the two girls behind him. "All of you."

"It's good to see you too, man," Freddie replied.

Making his way into the clinic with only a few expletives sent his way, his eyes scanned the groups of vault rebels huddled together in the messy room.

Amata wasn't there.

Old Lady Palmer approached him and enveloped him in a warm hug. "So the hero returns to save the day, huh?"

Elias' face split into a grin as he gladly hugged her back. It was good to see her, she was probably the nicest person in the vault. "Lend a hand at least."

"It's good to see you're back from the outside." She drew back to regard him for a moment. "It's dangerous out there, especially for someone your age. Are you doing okay, dear?"

 _No,_ he thought. "I'm alright, Ms Palmer," he vocalised.

"Good to hear." The woman gestured the disorderly room, somehow even messier than when he first left. "As you can tell, we're not doing so good down here. Everything's gone to hell."

"What about you? Why'd you join up with the rebels?"

"My poor grandson, Jonas, died." Her expression darkened. "They tried to tell me that it was an accident, that he passed in all the confusion, but I know it was the Overseer." Elias nodded at her words, he'd seen the man's body the morning he left. "I don't want to leave the vault but that doesn't mean I want to continue to live under the Overseer's rule anymore, it's about time we had a change in leadership."

Elias smiled, knowing she was right and admiring her ethos. He wrapped the conversation up by wishing her well and requesting she notify him when Amata returned, then shuffled his way to the back of the clinic.

What looked like the wooden benches of two school desks missing their legs joined together was pinned up to the wall, right beside the door to James' old office. Some sort of writing was carved into in it, and when Elias read over the words he realised it was names. Names of the fallen. What had to be their dates of death printed beside.

He put his hand to it, the tips of his fingers tracing over the names he recognised. Floyd Lewis, Mary Holden, Tom Holden, Officer O'Brian, Officer Richards, Officer Mack, Grandma Taylor, Chip Taylor, Vikki Hannon, Paul Hannon Jr to name a few... And many, many more. There was so many dead.

His eyes stared at it for a long while as he wondered whether this was all his fault. If he brought this on the vault somehow.

With a shake of his head to clear his thoughts, he pushed through into the clinic office and was in for a fright with the sight that greeted him. On his father's desk was the bloodied body of Beatrice Armstrong, one of her legs was cut off and it quickly became clear that she had bleed out.

Andy the vault's Mr Handy robot was buzzing beside her, blood splashed up and coating his chassis as if he'd held a spoon under a tap of gore and this was the aftermath. Upon Elias' entry, he immediately beamed, "Ah, another patient! What's it to be, eh? Appendectomy? Tonsillectomy?"

"Andy," Elias muttered, horrified, "What… what happened? What did you do…"

"Oh, well you see, sir, madam Beatrice came in with a broken toe on her right foot and I saw no other option than to amputate. Despite my expertise in the medical field, she, unfortunately, did not make it."

Flicking his gaze to and narrowing his eyes at Andy, "Right foot?" he asked.

"That is correct, sire."

"Then why did you amputate her left fucking leg, you dipshit?!"

The obnoxious robot technician Elias had developed a subtle abhor towards ever since the incident at his tenth birthday did not have a response. The former vault dweller rolled his eyes and walked behind him, positioning him steady with his hands so that he could access the control panel.

"Whoever made you the replacement doctor is one hell of a moron," Elias mumbled as he picked through the wires and pinched the one he was after. He looked around for something to cut it with and remembered the combat knife hidden in his boot.

Just as he was about to bend down to reach it, Butch walked in and bawled at him, "What are you doing?!"

"Disabling him."

"Andy is the closest thing to a doctor we have, man."

"That's not saying much," Elias replied, nodding at Beatrice, "look. You can't just jury-rig a robot and expect it to perform optimally at anything. Now can you grab that knife down there in my boot."

Butch balked uncertainly, glancing between Elias, Andy and Beatrice but eventually stepped forward and retrieved _Stabhappy._ He flicked the blade around in his hand. "Woah, this is a sweet knife, where'd ya get it?"

"Give it here." Elias snatched it by the hilt and returned to the tangle of wires.

"Wait, I'm not sure you should do that. After you and your dad left, we were left with no one with any medical experience plus Stanley has been out of it with his headaches most days. So by getting rid of Andy we won't have a doctor _or_ a technician."

Elias was a little surprised Butch was the one to come up with the good points, but he sighed and let go of Andy. "I guess I could just reprogram him, but he's staying as a technician, there's no way I'm allowing him to harm anyone else." He fiddled with the switches and plugged the wires back into their correct positions before patting the robot as he rebooted.

"Can I hold onto that knife of yours, Nosebleed?" Butch asked as Elias pushed the desk back towards the filing cabinets to make some space in the trashed office.

"Only if you stop calling me that and keep watch in case Amata returns."

"Deal."

Once Butch had left, Elias sighed and raked his fingers through his hair as he took in the sight of the room. His gaze met with the Bible quote still framed neatly up on the posterior wall.

Revelations 21:6 _I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely_

More memories flooded over him and washed through his mind: all those times his father read the passage to him and him rolling his eyes uncaring, his first meeting with the purifier and… his last.

Suddenly the room was too stifling and Elias had to leave before he broke down.

Butch was at the front of the clinic looking like he was trying to calm an angry mob and sure enough, a large gathering of vault dwellers had convened outside the clinic that blocked his passage as soon as he stepped back out into the wide hallway. Pointing accusatory fingers, shouting over each other, sending snide sneers and spouting insults and calumniates his way.

"Told you the troublemaker was back."

"Why can't you just leave us alone!"

"Traitor!"

"You shouldn't have come back!"

"Get out!"

This is what he was afraid of.

Elias had returned. But he'd returned from the outside…. An outsider.

"You don't belong here anymore!"

 _I don't think I ever did…_


End file.
